Sayonara, Kanashi Houshi
by Golden-Sama
Summary: [Hiatus] Miroku has survived his near death ordeal, and has realized his love for Sango, but now the pair will be walking into an even darker plan of their fated foe. They say love conquers all, but can it conquer the evil of Naraku? SM IK
1. Yellow Nightmare

**Sayonara, Kanashi Houshi **

(_Goodbye, Sad Monk_)

By Golden-sama

**Rated**: PG-13, for Mild Language, Violence, and Miroku's usual habits

**Summary**: Miroku discover he has only one week to live before his Kazanna devours him. How will he live his last week alive? Read it! You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll get to read one dam' good story. So what are you waiting for?

**Chapter One**

**Kiroi Akumu**

(_Yellow Nightmare_)

The odor of candles and vanilla floated throughout the entire manor of the lord. It was Tsune-sama's stronghold. Made of strong, good wood, the kind that makes good homes. The sides were white, and the roof was red. There was a small fish pond out in front of the main building of the castle. A pretty, quiet fish pond with a few lilies perfect for frogs and insects to live on. Sakura trees blossomed all over the gardens, of which there were many. The only thing to compare with the gardens in numbers, were the maidens. Tsune-sama enjoyed the company of young maids to work for him, thought that was all they did. Tsune-sama was a good lord of this castle, and its nearby village, and he treated everyone as if they themselves were equal. As if they all had money and fame, as he did. And that is why no one every questioned Tsune-sama.

Some thought him too soft at fist, until he killed the captain of his own Samurai for disobeying his orders. He was just and fair. He was a good lord. Much better than the old one. Tsune-sama was not related to the former lord of this nice little village, he had appeared only recently and saved the village from an evil Youkai, yet in the battle the old lord and his sons were killed. Tsune-sama was made the new lord. And that was good.

The only oddity of Tsune-sama was his smell. He always smelled of strong vanilla and candles, as did his castle. His candles were always lit, and he always had some vanilla burning with them. It was strange, but Tsune-sama was such a good lord no one thought twice about it.

Tsune-sama was a tall man, strong and broad of shoulder. He wore the finest silk, but carried an old battle-worn sword. He was surrounded by the village's most beautiful maidens non-stop, yet he was unmarried and celibate. His eyes were both deep and full of thought, though one of was blue, and the other green. He was shy and deep of consideration and reflection, yet he was an easy-going man who enjoyed sake and rice.

Yes, Tsune-sama was a good lord, and very loved by the people, ever since he defeated that horrible Youkai, Naraku . . .

------------

"She did what!?"

Miles away from Tsune-sama's fabulous village of vanilla and candle burning was a small lake-front village. Most villages in Japan in the fine year of 1496 had great fear of the youkai, but this one was used to them. One youkai in particular, was quite the common site.

"Don't worry about it Inuyasha, she said she'd be back in three days."

Kaede-sama was the local priestess of this village. Fifty years ago her elder sister, Kikyo, was the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. Fifty years ago, this village saw a great battle between Kikyo and her lover, the Hanyou, Inuyasha.

And if she didn't get back soon, the village may see a similar battle between Inuyasha and Kagome.

Kaeda-sama's hut was filled with people. The old woman dressed in the usual attire of a miko who sat by the stove, preparing sake, was indeed its owner. The rest of the people inside were her usual company.

Dressed in the noble color of lavender was a young, good-hearted monk who was called Miroku. Always with him was a large variety of wards and charms, as well as his gold staff which was a family heirloom passed down from his grandfather, to his father, to himself. Yet it was one of two heirlooms passed down from Miroku's grandfather, it was the nicer of the two. The second heirloom was Miroku's right hand, covered in a cloth and tied with prayer beads; the Kazanna was both a blessing and a plight. 

Besides Miroku was a small Kitsune youkai. He looked like a normal young boy, bright eyes and an innocent face, as well as a whiny yet mischievous nature. Of course this young boy had a large bushy tail of bright auburn hair to match that on his head. Currently Shippou was entertaining himself with a small spinning top; the top was his favorite toy of course.

Next to Shippou was a small blond cat, with two tails and dark colored paws. Kirara had bright and pretty eyes and soft fur that made her look very cuddly, of course that was because Kirara was happy. When she was unhappy, then she could be very much the opposite of cuddly. For she was a Neko youkai, and she was also very skilled in the area of fire and heat. But right now she had no thoughts of fighting with other demons, but instead just eyeing the spinning top of Shippou, which she thought would make a very nice toy.

And next to Kirara was her favorite person in the world, a young girl with rich brown hair. Sango's eyes were quite the mystery; they were filled with such joy and bliss most of the time, however deep beneath all of the fog of pleasure was the tears of bitter sorrow. And Sango knew sorrow well. Whenever she became truly happy and content, her mind would replay those horrible images and drown out that happiness. It was her punishment for enjoying herself. She gave it to herself. And it would only go away again the day she saw her beloved brother once more. Saw him free.

And the last person sitting within the hut was a boy. His face and smooth skin told those who looked at him that he was young, perhaps only seventeen or more. However his ears told that that was a deceiving look. He was much older than that, but didn't look, feel, or act like it. His long silver hair was fairly well kept, but not nearly as groomed as that of his brother. And his odd ears could easily become a dinner conversation topic. He was an Inu youkai, a dog demon. Or at least half of one. Dressed in the ruby red robes made from the fur of the rare fire rat, and carrying an old battered sword around with him that was his only gift from the father he never knew. Inuyasha was his name.

"Three days?" Inuyasha barked in his usual foul mood. "And I'm supposed to _relax_? What about the jewel, and Naraku!"

"It is at this time which I miss Kagome the most." Kaede commented, more to herself than to anyone else. What she truly missed was the word "Oswari". Anyone could say 'sit', but it would only force Inuyasha to shut up and fall down when Kagome said it.

"Well, nothing we can do about that now." Miroku said, and then he turned his head and tried to reassure Inuyasha. "I know how you miss Kagome-sama, but she will return soon do not worry Inuyasha."

Miroku was rubbing a back very reassuringly, in an attempt to cheer up Inuyasha. It may have worked better if it was Inuyasha's back, but instead he was rubbing the back of Sango. 

***Slap***

Inuyasha ignored Miroku as he talked, and continued the same actions as the monk was slapped. At some times this would have amused the hanyou, but not today. Today he wanted Kagome to come back so they could go looking for the jewel shards.

"You know what." The dog-demon suddenly said. Everyone turned and looked up at him. "I don't need Kagome for this; I'll get the shards myself."

And then they ignored him again. This caused Inuyasha to become quite upset. They ignored that too.  
  
"Ah Inuyasha, if only I could meet a woman for every time you've said you could get the shards on your own, I'd have a son by now."

There was a second slap from Sango at this comment, but it was true. Inuyasha had, since the beginning thought he didn't need Kagome, and since the beginning he had been proven wrong. Of course he was madly in love with the young schoolgirl from 500 years in the future, but if you tried to make him admit it he'd be apt to attack with his Tetsusaiga.

Before this conversation could continue, there was a great uproar from a villager, Inuyasha and Miroku were already on their feet, for Inuyasha had smelt it, and Miroku had sensed it.

"YOUKAI!" Was the general scream of the village. It was only a spider-head, nothing to really worry about. Inuyasha would kill it in a matter of seconds.

As the giant spider-beast ran towards the town, Inuyasha drew his old battered sword, which in an instant became a giant gleaming fang of steel. With a battle cry the red-robed hanyou leapt into the air and brought the steel-cleaving fang down to a crashing halt in the spider-head's head.

"Fuujin no Mai!"

Before Inuyasha even had smelt her, Kagura's white hot blades made from the very wind that blew in the sky everywhere, had struck him in his chest, there was a spatter of blood as the hanyou fell to the ground with a great "ugh".   
  
Miroku however had noticed the she-demon as the wind blades were created and thrown, and he had leapt aside. Behind him Sango, no longer in her yukata and apron, but now in a black cat suit that symbolized her rank as a youkai taijiya, had also avoided the sneak attack.

Miroku grabbed at the teal prayer beads on his right hand, slipped them off, and aimed his hand at Kagura. In a second a blast of black light shone from a hole in the palm of his hand, and the wind began to suck, rather than blow. Stones and grass and sticks were all flying quickly into the tunnel of wind, and Kagura was being sucked down the same path.

  
"Such a predictable bastard." Naraku's detachment hissed to herself as she was pulled towards the Kazanna. She reached into her kimono and pulled out a small orb, it looked much like the Shikon no Tama did before it broke, but it was burning with yellow light, like a miniature sun.

She threw the small orb and it flew straight on course to the Kazanna, and inside the Kazanna, and as it did Miroku screamed in pain and dropped to his knees. Sango was at his side in a second, and Inuyasha, who was already back on his feet waiting for a chance to fire a 'Kaze no Kizu', looked up at Kagura and called out:

"What the hell did you do, Gaishou*!?" 

Kagura laughed a bit as she turned a feather from her hair into a raft for her to escape by air. "I just did a favor for Naraku!"

------------

Far, far away from the waterfront village where the conflict with Kagura was taking place, far, far away from Tsune-sama's vanilla scented castle, was a small dew-soaked meadow. The grass was a green as any could every hope to be, and the sky above was a bright and blissful blue. Many types of flowers grew here, and many children loved to play in this place.

One of those children was named Rin, and she was just like all the rest. She loved playing in the soft field, picking the fragrant flowers, and splashing her bare feet in the cooling waters of the nearby stream. The only thing that made her any different from the rest of the children was the small green youkai that followed her around.

"Jaken-sama?" Rin asked with curiosity burning in her voice. "Where did all the other children go? Rin wanted to play with them!"

It was true that as soon as the young girl in the cream and orange checkered yukata and her small toad companion had arrived, the other children had quickly made their way back to their village.   
  
"Ah, well you see Rin, it's because --"

  
"Jaken."

The toad in an instant shut up and turned around to where _he_ stood. Regal, elegant and graceful, even effeminate in his facial features. He stood proud and tall. His eyes were as dark and cold as the crescent moon on his forehead. Sesshoumaru had only one arm, the reason was his younger brother, Inuyasha. Carried with him was a long drape of fur which was slung from his shoulder to his feet, and some had mistaken it for a tail. On his belt were two swords.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama! Rin missed you!"

And at the sight of the regal Youkai, Rin forgot all about her question, and Jaken did not tell her that the answer to it was because she was in the company of demons.

"Jaken, take Rin and go wait at the lake."

Sesshoumaru's eyes were red, as was common with youkai, but they had a chill to them that could freeze blood as it flowed in one's body. Those eyes did not look at the toad or the girl. Both of his Chibi-sized companions blinked and peered off in the direction that he gazed. 

"Jaken."

Remembering the order that his master had given him, Jaken grabbed his staff and Rin's hand and pulled them both along towards the river. As they left, a new group came.

  
The children lived in a small, poor village near this nice meadow. The village had few luxuries, and no lord. It was full of famine and disease. Yet one blessing did they have. A while ago a beautiful young miko had come to their village and had every since helped the sick and the poor. She left many times but came back many more times.

"That's the one Kikyo-sama." One of the children said. They had gone to find the miko upon seeing two demons that had been 'kidnapping' the young girl. They obviously thought Rin was in danger. And when Kikyo had heard that one of these demons was an Inu youkai with long silver hair, she had come at once.

Sesshoumaru and Kikyo gazed into each other's eyes from across the meadow. They had met long ago. It had been a cold and a drab night, when Sesshoumaru and Jaken had come to her village. That was over fifty years ago. Sesshoumaru wanted to see if it was true with his own eyes, if that disgusting _thing_ that was called Inuyasha had truly fell in love with a human.

Sesshoumaru had not killed Kikyo then, and she had given him the same courtesy. And nothing had changed this time. Without a word to each other, Sesshoumaru turned around and walked back towards the lake where Jaken and Rin waited, and equally silent Kikyo had turned and walked back to her village.

------------

"I'm, urgh, back!"

With a heavy sigh, the young raven-haired girl pushed her heavy backpack over the edge of the Bone Eater's Well. Her face was still beat red from what had happened, and she was thankful to God that her friends from this era hadn't been there. Now they never could have understood why she was embarrassed, but they didn't go to school, so they couldn't forget when the school was closed for teacher day, and they spend a hour getting ready for school only to find she was later, only to run down the road in a huff, only to realized that it was teacher's day and no students had to come.

"Kaaaaaagomeeeee!"

Shippou hurled himself like a lightning bolt towards the black-haired beauty, and in an instant fastened himself around her neck in a tight hug. Kagome wished that the Kitsune had waited till she was at least _out_ of the well to jump her like that, but she had missed him.

  
"Shippou-chan, take it easy!"

But in an instant of seeing the teary eyes on Shippou, she was worried. She knew Shippou always cried when she left and when she came back, but those were tears of the utmost sadness. 

"What happened?"

Five minutes later Kagome and Shippou came through the door of Kaede-sama's hut, Inuyasha and Sango turned their heads at once, and both of them looked very surprised to see her.

"Kagome-chan!" Sango called out, her eyes were also filled with tears. Her eyes were even sadder than Shippou's. And that was no surprise, for recently Miroku _had_ asked her to marry him, in a way. Inuyasha had no tears in his eyes, but he did have a for longed expression on his face and a bloody cut on his chest.

And between where Sango was hugging Kagome and where Inuyasha sat in thought, lay Miroku. His body was covered in sweat, and his eyes were clenched shut as if he was in great pain. No sound escaped his mouth, but tears of silent pain streamed down his cheeks. He held the wrist of his right hand with his palm of his left, and the palm of his right was clenched shut.

"Is he going to be okay?" Kagome asked worried.  
  
"No." Sango said, nearly choking on her tears. "He's dying."

--------------------------

**Author's Notes**:  
  
**Translations**

Youkai = Demon

Neko = Cat

Inu = Dog

Kitsune = Fox

Hanyou = Half-demon

Fuujin no Mai = Dance of the Wind Blade (Kagura's attack)

Kaze no Kizu = Wound of the Wind (Tetsusaiga's attack)

Kazanna = Air Void (Miroku's curse)

Anyway, chapter two will be coming up as soon as I write it, which could be a day, or a week. I don't know. But I **will** finish this story, for once.

Well, Ja ne

~ Golden-sama


	2. Pain and Rain

**Sayonara, Kanashi Houshi **

(_Goodbye, Sad Monk_)

By Golden-sama

**Rated**: PG-13, for Mild Language, Violence, and Miroku's usual habits

**Summary**: Miroku discover he has only one week to live before his Kazanna devours him. How will he live his last week alive? Read it! You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll get to read one dam' good story. So what are you waiting for?

**Chapter Two**

**Itamu to Ame**

(_Pain and Rain)_

Vanilla was a strong smell, and it was everywhere on the large castle of Tsune-sama. Tsune-sama loved the smell of vanilla more than he loved his sakura gardens and his fish ponds. He could not have imagined a more luscious smell than vanilla.

"Tsune-sama." 

The young lord of the castle and town was sitting on his porch; his dark hair was wet from the swim he had taken earlier. He was happy today and so was everyone who knew him. Now he just sat in the bright morning sun, watching the fish swim in the pond.

The person who had called the young lord's name was one of his maids, her name was Akiko. She was the fairest of all of his servants, and when she was first taken on as his maid, many believed Tsune would make her his wife, he did not, however.

"Yes Akiko-chan, please come sit down."

Many lords in this age of war and power struggles would not be nearly as formal with their servants, not even with their wives or children, and they would never ask a commoner in their employment to sit down. Tsune-sama, however, did do this.

"Oh no, Tsune-sama. I just bring word from the gardens; some of the gardeners have been attacked by strange insects." Akiko said happily. She had a very pretty smile, something Tsune-sama knew very well. And he enjoyed her smile. She knew she should not smile at a time like this, but around Tsune-sama she was always smiling. And not a fake, half-hearted smile, it was a real smile. A true smile.

"I will go see what I can do."

Tsune stood up and brushed his silk clothing from being as dirty, and then he turned and made his way towards the door. Akiko watched the young master walk away with a sad sigh. She had fallen in love with him in the short time since he had become lord of this town, but there was nothing she could do. He didn't even take notice of love or such things.

As Tsune walked down the steps, his happy expression suddenly became quite unhappy. The gardens were looming into view and he could see Izumo, his chief gardener. The old man didn't look happy at all, instead he look fearful. Yet it was not a worrying old man that caused Tsune-sama to become quiet and his eyes to narrow. It was the insects that he saw buzzing in the garden.

"Izumo, leave this place. Take all of the gardeners. Go now."

"But Tsune-sama, we haven't even told you--"

  
"It is a youkai, Izumo. Now go leave this place. And summon Akiko for me."

The gardener, upon hearing the word 'youkai', had hurriedly told the other gardeners to follow him and he was on his way away from the garden. As they left, Tsune walked towards the large, odd looking bees.

"You can tell Naraku that my answer is still no, and if he harms any more of my villagers than we shall be enemies."

The insects did not look happy at this, but they flew away, relaying the message to some dark corner of the world where their dark master waited for them.

"Tsune-sama?"

It was Akiko once more. Tsune-sama turned to her and looked at her with dark eyes full of hate and sadness.

"Take my nephew and heir away from this castle. Bear him swiftly to a person called Inuyasha, go in the night."

Akiko blinked once, and then bowed to him. But still she had to ask…

  
"How will I recognize this Inuyasha?"

"He is a hanyou. He travels with a group of humans. You will see them when you see them."

Akiko bowed once more. Then she hurried to the main castle house and entered, looking for Tsune-sama's nephew and heir. The young boy had traveled here with Tsune-sama when Tsune-sama had battled the youkai attacking their village.

"Akiko-chan?" 

It was Tsune-sama's nephew. A young, brown haired boy. Face covered in freckles. 

  
"Please, we must leave this place. You uncle and my lord has requested it."

The young brown haired boy nodded his head.

"Please, hurry Kohaku-sama." Akiko said to the young heir of the castle.

------------

Sango's young life had been filled with such pain already that she doubted very much it could get worse. Or at least she had the day before last, but now she knew it had become worse.

For sixteen years Sango lived in the Youkai Taijiya village. For sixteen years she was happy, with her father, her brother, her village, and her Neko, Kirara. And then that changed. She prayed that she would not have to face her next sixteen years with this kind of pain.

And now she prayed that she would not face them alone. The night before last she had refused to leave Houshi-sama's side. Even if he was, well, Houshi-sama. She had slept not five feet from Miroku, something that at previous times would have scared her worse than some youkai, but now she had to. He couldn't die. He just couldn't.

And when she opened her eyes, she rolled over and looked to the place in the middle of Kaede-oba-san's hut where Houshi-sama had slept. And now he was gone.

"Houshi-sama? Houshi-sama!?"  
  


"Keep it down Sango, I have a headache."

The brown eyed girl turned her head to the corner of the hut, where Miroku was sitting on a pillow. He was trying to eat some stew, but it looked as if he had trouble swallowing it.

"Houshi-sama, you're up and . . ."

She didn't want to sound as worried as she did. She shook her head and took a deep breath, but Miroku waved it off.

  
"Yes I'm up. The pain is gone Sango. I'm just numb now."

Sango didn't quite believe him. The expression on his face was one that showed not pain, but pure agony. She moved over next to him and attempted to help him with the chop sticks.

"Ah Sango, the fact that you were worried greatly relieves me."

It took every bit of self-restraint she had not to slap him this time. Not from the comment, but from his hands. She pulled away from him, afraid that even if he was doing… what he always did, he may still be in pain. And judging from his eye, she was right.

-----------------

"So what the hell is wrong with him?"

Not far from the hut, at the side of the riverbed were the rest of the group. Inuyasha was lying in a tree branch above the heads of the rest, looking down. Kaede-oba-san was filling a bucket with water from the lake. Kagome just sat with Shippou on her lap, both of them looking very worried about the monk.

"I don't know Inuyasha, but as always your candor is helpful." The old woman said scornfully.

Inuyasha was about to say something back, when he suddenly felt a itching on his neck. With a great slap, he smacked not only his neck, but Myoga too.

  
"Ah, Inuyasha-sama, how I have missed that taste." The small flea said from his new spot on Inuyasha's hand.

"What's wrong Myoga, your usual hiding spot get raided by some youkai?" The hanyou said as he peered at the tiny flea demon on his hand.

"Now really Inuyasha-sama! I'm here to help Miroku-sama."

Kagome, Shippou and Kaede all looked up at Inuyasha and his flea. It was true that Myoga knew much about strange curses and pains, and they hoped he could help Miroku.

"Well? What are you waiting for baka!?" Inuyasha growled at the flea, and threatened to close his hand and smash him to death. After jumping down to the new safety of Kagome's hair, Myoga began to speak.

  
"That yellow jewel that Kagura threw into Miroku's Kazanna was the eye of Garudomaru. Once the painful first steps are over, I think that Miroku will have about seven days to live."

Kagome and Shippou both looked shocked, and ready to cry. Inuyasha looked as if he was ready to pounce on the flea and kill it, and Kaede had a grave look on her aged face.

"Wait, wait!" Myoga said at once. "Don't get all sad yet, there is a chance to save him."

"What do you mean?" Kagome said at once.

"Well you see, Garudomaru was the creator of the Kazanna, and so--"

Inuyasha quickly and rudely interjected. "Naraku created it, baka."

"No." Myoga responded. "Naraku was the one who cursed Miroku-sama's grandfather, but he doesn't have the power to create a curse like the Kazanna. To create a curse that powerful you must be a taiyoukai, like Garudomaru, or your father."

Inuyasha looked as if he doubted this, but it didn't matter to Myoga.

"You see, about sixty years ago Garudomaru, who was a great bird taiyoukai, wanted to become a phoenix. Of course a phoenix is the most majestic of all creatures. However Garudomaru was twisted and evil, and could not become a phoenix. So he became made and began to curse people. He'd make a air tunnel in their throats so that when they opened their mouth they'd suck in everything around them. After enough time without food, they'd die. It was very twisted."

"Hello dumbass, Miroku's Kazanna is in his hand, not his mouth." Inuyasha said again.

"Inuyasha, stop interrupting!" Shippou barked angrily.

  
"Don't tell me what to do you stupid raccoon!"  
  


"I'm a fox!"  
  
"Whatever!"  
  
"Oswari."

There was a great smash as Inuyasha fell from the tree and slammed into the ground with such force that birds in trees all around the lake flew away. Shippou happily hugged Kagome for her help. The Myoga cleared his throat and they all turned their eyes back to him.

"As I was saying, Garudomaru kept cursing people for ten years, but then, about fifty years ago, a Samurai who was cursed with Kazanna in his throat cut out Garudomaru's eyes. Before the blind Garudomaru died, he was cared for by a kind woman, to whom he taught the secret of the Kazanna curse. This woman was, of course, Naraku in one of his various disguises. And three days later Naraku tried to curse Miroku-sama's grandfather with the curse. Of course it was different from Garudomaru's curse; it was in the hand, so that the person would spend a longer life than a few days with it."

"Listen baka, you said there was a way to save Miroku, I wanted that, not a history lesson you fuc--"

"Oswari." Kagome said. "Go on Myoga."  
  


The flea nodded. "Anyway, by throwing that yellow orb into Miroku, it's good news."  
  
"How so?" A voice asked. Everyone turned around to where Miroku was standing, leaning rather, on his staff. Sango was not far away. Miroku's face was still covered in sweat and he still looked to be in pain.

"You should be in bed." Kaede said, but Miroku shook his head.

  
"I should sleep while you all talk about weather I'll live or not? No, I think I'll skip sleeping, that is unless I had some company." He said turning his head to Sango. Her entire body was shaking with fury. Not over his perverted comments, that she was used to. But over the fact that he was dying and still the only things he could think of were dirty.

"Miroku-sama, listen to me. The reason this is good news is because this is a chance to end the threat of Kazanna." The flea spoke. Miroku's eyes suddenly widened, and now he was interested.

  
"You see, by throwing Garudomaru's eye into your Kazanna, he has stopped Kazanna's growth. It will not grow any larger for seven days. And if we can cure you by then, then the Kazanna will never grow again. Of course, it won't disappear until Naraku is dead, but it will stop growing, and therefore it will stop the threat of your dying form it. Now if we don't find you the cure in seven days then the Kazanna will grow larger by the second until you and anything else within one hundred miles is sucked inside."

"That's so reassuring." Inuyasha said sarcastically.

  
"How do we cure it Myoga-oji-san?" Miroku asked. All thoughts of perversion or pain had been pushed out of his mind. Miroku was more stern and serious than anyone had ever seen him before.

"By finding the other eye of Garudomaru, the blue one, and throwing that in your Kazanna. That and that alone will cause the threat of your death to stop, and it will cure you of the poison of the yellow eye."

Miroku nodded. "But where is the blue eye?"

--------------

Akiko had never run this fast in her life. She had been sent away from Tsune-sama's castle, in search of a demon called Inuyasha. With her was Tsune-sama's nephew and heir, a young boy by the name of Kohaku. And behind Akiko and Kohaku was a youkai.

"We can't outrun him, Akiko-chan." Kohaku said with his usual grim voice. It was so weird, Akiko had always believed, that someone as care-free and happy as Tsune-sama could have a nephew who was full of such sorrow.

Behind them the sounds of the youkai's steps were getting louder, and louder. And as they ran, it drew ever closer.

"Yes we will Kohaku-sama." Akiko said. Her rich black hair, once so clean and well-kept was now a mess. Her skin was soft and fair, and not used to this murderous terrain and conditions. And blood streamed from many cuts. Yet still she ran onward. Whether he took notice or not, she loved Tsune-sama, and she would protect his nephew and heir with her life.

"Why do you run Kohaku?" A cold voice called out from the youkai that chased them. Kohaku didn't want to hear that voice ever again.

"Have I not treated you well, Kohaku? Have I not been a good person and treated you as you should be treated? Why do you run from this Naraku?" 

"I know what you did! I know what you made me do!" Kohaku screamed out, his eyes were burning with tears that streamed down his face.

  
"Then come back to this Naraku, and I shall take those memories from you as I did before. Do not fear me, Kohaku. We are friends."

Kohaku screamed once again, all the pain and suffering in his body was coming back to him. He began to shake and Akiko knew he would fall down if he kept running like this, and if he fell that youkai would catch them.

"Kohaku, if you run I will kill her." The youkai spoke once again. "I will kill her Kohaku."

Kohaku cried more, and screamed louder, but still he ran. He would not believed Naraku. Naraku was nothing but lies.

Akiko wondered who 'her' was. Surely he wasn't meaning herself. It must be one of Kohaku-sama's relatives. Yet Tsune-sama said that Kohaku's parents were dead. Could Tsune-sama have lied? No, Akiko knew he would never lie.

"She will die Kohaku. This Naraku will kill her myself. You know I will."

Suddenly Akiko felt the ground beneath her falter and give way. She screamed, yet even as she did she felt a hand keep her from falling. She watched as Kohaku fell down the side of the mountain and towards the river below. She screamed and cried but still she knew Kohaku was the safe one.

  
She was the one who had been caught.

-------------

Kikyo was bent over a old man who had wounded his leg working in the field. He had tripped over some weeds and his leg had hit a rock.   
  
"It's broken, but some of these herbs can help it heal quickly." Kikyo said quietly. The old man smiled and thanked her as two of his sons stood waiting to help him get home.

  
"You're welcome to stay here, if you wish." Kikyo said. "You really shouldn't be moved around too much."

"Oh Kikyo-sama, thank you. You are truly a gift from heaven." The old man said, his eyes full of tears of joy.

  
"Yes…" Kikyo said quietly. "Heaven…"

She sighed and shook her head. She was helping people. She was doing as a miko should.

'_And your also feeding off the souls of those you can't help, Kikyo. You are a curse from hell, not a gift from heaven._'

"Miko-sama!"  
  
Kikyo pushed away her thoughts and looked up. There was a man she had never before seen, but she could smell the vanilla radiant off him. It was odd.

"Yes, I am Kikyo, the Miko of this village." 

"My name is Izumo; I am a gardener in the service of the great Tsune-sama. A plague of insects have befallen our village. We need the aid of a skilled miko to help cure us. Tsune-sama said that the bees were servants of a youkai called Naraku, and he said that you would help us."

Kikyo sighed and closed her eyes. Naraku. Yes she knew him and his insects well. After all, he had killed her.   
  


"I will follow you." Kikyo said. "I will come help your village."

-------------

It was raining now. The day was melting away with the rain. And as it did, Miroku sighed.

The houshi was sitting out on a green hill at the edge of Kaede's village. If what Myoga said was true, when this day ended he'd have only six left. He gave a sigh and thought about what he must do.

What could he do? They needed the blue eye of Garudomaru, or they had to kill Naraku. And they had only six days to do it. And Miroku knew well that if Kagura had the yellow eye, than Naraku had the blue one as well.

How could they hope to find it? Miroku had spent hours thinking of a way to get that eye, a way to save his life. And he knew they were all hopeless.   
  
But in that thinking one idea did come to him. Perhaps, it was a long shot, it truly was. And yet maybe he could pull it off. And if he did, then maybe any doubt Sango had of their love would go away.

  
"Ah, Haichi, you're late. "

Haichi the raccoon sighed and nodded. He was standing behind Miroku.

"Well what's the rush anyway Miroku-dono?"

"I'm dying Haichi." Miroku said without looking at his old friend. Haichi didn't believe him at first, but something about the way Miroku didn't look at him, that made him realize it was true.

"M-master Miroku-dono, y-you can't--"

  
"I am. I'll be ready to leave in just a minute."

Haichi blinked once again. "What about Inuyasha and your friends?"

Miroku's head shook. "No Haichi. I'm doing this alone. I just need you to give me a ride, and then you can leave too."

Haichi was the biggest cowards Miroku had ever met, with the exception of Myoga the flea. And yet still his friend would never abandon Miroku, not in this case anyway.

Miroku reached down on the hill, as the rain fell over his body. He picked a small flower from the ground and walked over towards Kaede's hut. He quietly crept inside, making sure not to wake Inuyasha, which was a tough task. He crept past where Kagome slept using Shippou as a stuffed toy, and over to Sango.

  
The young girl was sleeping so peacefully. She was full of such sorrow, and she would be full of more when he was gone, but when she was asleep she had no cares or pain, and it was now, as he watched her sleep and realized that he would never see her again, that he truly appreciated her. That he truly realized just how much he loved Sango.

"Sayonara."

He reached down and kissed her cheek softly, lying the flower next to her face. Then he stood and walked towards the door.

"You're leaving then?"

Miroku turned around to Inuyasha. He was still sitting in the same position he always slept in, only now his eyes were open.

"Yes I am." Miroku said, turning his face back to the open door and the raining path that lay ahead of him.

  
"You know we're going to follow you as soon as Sango wakes up." The dog demon said.

"I know." 

"Alright, see you then monk."

"Goodbye Inuyasha."

And then Miroku walked out into the rain, walking towards his fate…

-------------------------------------------

**Author's Notes**: Three reviews! *Dances around* I got three reviews on chapter one! YAY! Plus I got a review from my friend on AIM so that's four!  
  
*Bounces around, then stops realizing he looks like a baka*

Anyway, I'll start on chapter three very soon, today in fact, so it may be up really soon!  
  
Thanks for reading, oh and here's the translations.

**Translation Guide**

Houshi - Monk (Obviously)

Baka - Idiot/Stupid/Fool

Miko - Priestess

Sayonara - Goodbye

And as for the name suffixes…

**-chan:** literally means "little" or "cute"; a diminutive name suffix used to address children, female relatives and (close) friends. Also a common endearment. Adding this to a relative's appellation gives the appellation a familiar tone.   
**-kun:** a name suffix used to address people of equal/lower social standing and/or age; more casual than** -san**, this is applied almost excessively to males. Can also be diminutive, like a male version of **-chan**.   
**-san:** a name suffix indicating respect; translates to Mr., Miss or Mrs. Using a plain name is a quite casual way of addressing a person, and unless you know them well it is considered somewhat rude.   
**-dono:** an archaic, outdated name suffix indicating respect; slightly more polite than **-san**   
**-sama:** a very respectful, even reverent name suffix; may be translated as sir, lady, lord etc.

And Oba-san and Oji-san is Grandma/old woman and Grandpa/old man.

Ja ne

~ Golden-sama


	3. Alone and Sad

**Sayonara, Kanashi Houshi **

(_Goodbye, Sad Monk_)

By Golden-sama

**Rated**: PG-13, for Mild Language, Violence, and Miroku's usual habits

**Summary**: Miroku discover he has only one week to live before his Kazanna devours him. How will he live his last week alive? Read it! You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll get to read one dam' good story. So what are you waiting for?

**Chapter Three**

**Hitori to Kanashi**

_(Alone and Sad)_

When Akiko's eyes opened next, she found herself in a small, dark room. The walls were made from stone, and covered in moss and strange stains that looked almost like blood. She could feel the cold metal claps on her arms and legs. She noticed that the bruises and cuts on her body had stopped bleeding; it must have been hours since she was caught. Yet there was little good news. She was naked, tied up in a strange dungeon, and she had no clue where she was or how to, or even if she could escape.

"Where were you taking Kohaku?"

She lifted her head up to see a tall white baboon. No, it was someone wearing baboon skin. A demon. It was the youkai that had chased her. She didn't speak.

"Very well. Kagura, find out for me, will you?"  
  
The white baboon walked away, and a young girl with short dark hair took his place. She had a twisted smile on her face and Akiko knew that it meant trouble.

  
"You really should tell me, this will hurt like hell." 

Kagura was holding a whip. Akiko knew it would indeed hurt, but she would not break Tsune-sama's trust. She would never break the trust of her beloved Tsune-sama.

"Have it your way." Kagura said.

-------------

He could feel water washing over his battered body, and it was stinging his cuts and scars. Kohaku lifted himself to his knees, but his arms gave way and he fell back down again. The eleven-year old was lying in a stream. The same stream he had fallen into when he fell from the mountain.

He was covered in blood, and his entire body hurt. He should have been dead, but the Shikon Shard was still embedded in his back, and it had stopped death from taking him. It had not, however, stopped the bruises and the pain.

"Ane…"

Kohaku wanted to stay there. He wanted to die there. He knew now. He knew everything. He knew what happened, what he did, what he was. He was a monster. A murderer.

Suddenly Kohaku heard footsteps. They were drawing closer. From the sounds of it, it was two people. Both of them were small, perhaps his age or younger. That or they were a pair of small youkai that could eat him.

"Hurry Jaken-sama! Rin wants to find a good fishing spot!"

Kohaku could hear voices now. He raised his head as much as he could and to his surprise he saw a young girl running his direction. He knew her. It was Rin. He had meet her a few times in the past.

"Waiiiit! Riiiiin!"

Behind her was Jaken, running after her as he usual did now. Kohaku wondered if they would help them. He wondered if they even saw them. Rin was getting closer, closer, she was --

"Uff!"

Rin had tripped right over Kohaku and fallen into the shallow stream. Jaken screamed, afraid that she was hurt, which would not please Sesshoumaru. But Rin pulled herself up a moment later, no more than a small cut on her cheek. She looked over and saw what she tripped on. _Who_ she tripped on.

  
"Kohaku!"

Spotting his condition, she quickly moved over towards him and pushed him over onto his back. Kohaku peered up at the younger girl, and saw the concern in her face.

'_Why is she so concerned?_' Kohaku thought. '_I tried to kill her before. Why does she care? Why should anyone care?_'

"Riiiiiin!"

Jaken had now joined them. He blinked and opened his mouth in a gaggling noise when he realized who Kohaku was.

  
"Jaken-sama." Rin asked, poking the small youkai in his stomach.  
  
"Hmm? Ah, Rin!"

"Go get Rin some herbs! I want to help Kohaku!"

Kohaku didn't speak, he just lay there. It looked like he'd survive after all. He cursed his luck.

"What? Don't you order me around Rin! We're supposed to be catching fish! Besides, this one isn't even one of our--"

"Jaken."

The toad stopped speaking at once. He turned around at once and stared at Sesshoumaru. How that youkai could sneak up on the two of them was beyond Jaken. Of course he _was_ Sesshoumaru-sama. He was the best youkai in the world.

"Y-y-yes Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Go get Rin her herbs."

Jaken couldn't believe what he was hearing. But it was not a good idea to argue with Sesshoumaru-sama.

"Y-yes, right away Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Kohaku stared up at Sesshoumaru. He didn't know what the demon would do with him, but much to his surprise, Sesshoumaru just began to walk away. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at Rin.

"Do not leave this place. Aun will stay with you while Jaken is gone. Stay here and behave."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin said at once. The elegant Youkai continued to walk away. Kohaku just closed his eyes.

------------

Sango's had slept a dreamless sleep the night before. She had hoped for as much. For she was afraid to dream, afraid of what she may dream about. Who she may dream about. Never in her life had Sango been as afraid as she was now. Afraid that she'd lose Miroku as she had lost everyone else she ever loved.

And when she opened her eyes in the morning, a small pink flower was sitting next to her. She looked at it and her eyes filled with tears, for she knew exactly what happened.

"Houshi-sama…"

On the other side of the room, Inuyasha watched the brown haired girl as she lay there and broke down. Losing the last person she had loved. Losing the last bit of her life. The dog-demon sighed, but he knew it was for the best. Personally he had lost all hope of saving Miroku's life, just like Miroku had. And he knew that it was better if he died far away from Sango. Or course they'd be following the monk in a matter of minutes as soon as Sango composed herself. And pretty much --

Inuyasha's thinking was interrupted, however, by Kagome. She was hugging him, and crying into his shoulder. At first he couldn't understand why. It was Sango who should be sad.

  
"Hey. Why are you crying? Did you have a thing for Miroku too?"

"Inuyasha, you're a real baka. You know that?" Kagome said without lifting her head from the hug.  
  
"What do you mean I'm a baka!? You stupid bi--"

And then she kissed him. And Inuyasha shut up. He allowed himself to melt into Kagome's kiss, before he truly realized what was happening. When she broke away she retuned to hugging him and burring her head in his shoulder. It had been a long time since Kagome had kissed him. Not since that time in Kaguya's castle when Inuyasha had become a mindless killing machine and she had broken the spell. 

  
"Sango-chan." Kagome said, breaking away from Inuyasha and moved over to her friend. "We should go look for him."

"No." Sango said. "No Kagome-chan. I, I don't think I can go look for him."

"But Sango, you have to." Kagome said. "You can't just let him go like this! What's wrong with you Sango-chan! We can still save him!"

"That's right." Myoga said from where he was sitting atop Kirara's head. The small yellow cat scratched at the flea, but he jumped onto Shippou's tail.

"Sango-chan." Kagome said, staring her friend in the eyes. "You can't just let the person you love walk away like this. You have to find him, and help him."

Sango closed her eyes and nodded. "Alright Kagome." She spoke so quietly even Inuyasha's ears had a hard time picking it up. "Let's go save him."

------------

"Miroku-dono?" 

Haichi was now flying. He had transformed and was carrying the young monk. The only problem was Haichi had only been giving a direction to fly in, no destination.

  
"No we're not there yet Haichi. I'll let you know."

Miroku was lying on his back. He was still sweating badly, and the pain in his body, especially his right arm, was still horrible. They weren't far now. Far from the place where his father had died. Miroku pushed himself up into a sitting position and looked down as they flew over. 

"Otou-san, Sayonara."

And then Miroku lied down again. He was in such pain. Not the pain that burned his body, but the agony that pierced his heart. He knew he would never see Sango again. And that hurt him. It hurt him worse than any pain from Naraku's curse.

Suddenly Miroku looked over the side and realized that they were here.

"Haichi, stop. Drop me off at that tavern."

Haichi didn't understand why Miroku wanted to be dropped off at this tavern, but he did as his master said. He landed and transformed back into a raccoon.

"Goodbye Haichi, I'll miss you." The monk said. He shook the raccoon's hand and then turned and headed towards the tavern. Haichi shook his head and decided that Miroku had gone crazy, and perhaps it was time he went after Inuyasha.

'_What were you thinking Haichi!? Miroku's lost all hope for life, hurry up and go find his friends!_'

And so Haichi transformed and took off, trying to undo the mistake he had unknowingly done. And as he did Miroku entered the tavern.

"Ah, Houshi, can I help you?" The tavern owner said.  
  
"There is a ominous cloud hanging over your tavern. I can drive out the youkai for you."

-------------

Kirara was flying fast; upon her back were Sango and Shippou. They were making good time. Not far below on the ground Inuyasha was running at a feverous pace, Kagome on his back, and Myoga on his ear.

  
Inuyasha and Kirara both were following the smell of Miroku and Haichi, which had gone this way. Inuyasha had known since last night that Miroku had left, but he didn't think it would be this hard to pick up a trail.

"Damnit." Inuyasha growled. "Between that rain and the fact that they flew most of the way I'm having a real hard time."

Inuyasha stopped running, and Kirara landed not far away. Sango hadn't spoken much since they left Kaede's village. Not that anyone could blame her. Kagome climbed off Inuyasha's back and sighed. It didn't look good.

"We shouldn't have come." Sango said, taking them by surprise. "We should have left him alone."

"Now don't start that again." Inuyasha snapped. "We both know that we did the right thing following him. Now just stop --"

Suddenly Inuyasha's speaking ended, and he lifted his face up to the sky and began to sniff the air. He smelled something.

"Is it Miroku?" Shippou asked as he stared up at the red robed demon.

"Feh, you wish." Inuyasha said as his hand moved down to Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha's eyes moved around the surrounding woods, they were thick and green, with trunks of rich brown and dirt of the same. And coming through those woods was a smell Inuyasha knew well. And yet then a second scent caught the demon's attention, and he cursed to himself.

  
"What is it?" Kagome asked, now a bit afraid. "Naraku?"

"Worse." Inuyasha said.   
  
"Hey, Inukoro. What's your dumb ass doing out here?"

Kouga was leaning against a tree; as usual he and Inuyasha had started off the meeting with arguing.

"Kouga-kun!" Kagome said in surprise. "I thought it was something bad, Inuyasha, that wasn't funny making us worry!"   
  
"Shut up baka." Inuyasha said to Kagome. It was then she realized he hadn't even looked at Kouga. And it was then that she noticed Kouga, while taking time to insult Inuyasha, was peering off into the same patch of forest that Inuyasha was.

Then before Kagome knew what was happening something burst from the trees, it was a large demon, its skin was a putrid green and it had a shell like a beetle. Two large pincer claws were protruding out of its head. She'd seen youkai that were much more horrible than this one, but something about the way both Inuyasha and Kouga were paying more attention to it than to each other told her this was no ordinary beetle youkai.

"Feh, are you the best Naraku can do?" Inuyasha growled, he flipped Tetsusaiga out of its scabbard and leapt into the air, bringing the Tetsusaiga down crushingly hard on its head. And even as he did, Kouga leapt forward and kicked the beetle in its stomach, breaking through the skin and letting a glob of green liquid fall out.

"I didn't need your help wimpy wolf!" Inuyasha growled.

"And I don't need you to interfere, Inukoro!" The wolf retorted.

Kagome sighed and suddenly became very angry.

  
"Inuyasha, we're supposed to be looking for Miroku! We don't have time for you to fight with Kouga! Now come on!"

Inuyasha shot one last venomous glance at Kouga and then sighed.

"You're right Kagome. Listen, Sango, sorry about that I wasn't --"

Inuyasha stopped talking; it occurred to him for the first time that Sango was being even quieter than she had been before. Turning around Inuyasha cursed loudly, spotting Shippou and Kirara, both lying on the ground unconscious, and Sango missing.

"Sango-chan!?" Kagome called.

"Kagome-san." Kouga was suddenly at her side, clasping her hands inside his own. "I will find your friend for you, because I love you."

Inuyasha was fuming mad and began to shout: "We don't need help from baka wolf trash like you!"

"I was helping my woman, not you Inukoro."

"Why you!"  
  
"Oswari."

While Inuyasha was on the ground, unconscious and in pain, Kagome turned to Kouga.  
  
"Please Kouga-kun; I'd appreciate your help. But you have to understand I'm not your woman and -"

  
"Then I will help you Kagome dearest. And you, Inukoro, you protect my bride a little while longer, ok?"

And with that Kouga was running off at an incredible speed. His wolf pack as well as his two comrades appeared just as he was running off.

"Oh Kouga, do you ever wait for us?" They said as they ran off following him. The waved to Kagome as they did, and she shook her head and went over to help Shippou and Kirara.

"I hate wolves." Inuyasha growled.

-------------

"Hai, Hai, Hai, Hai, Hai!!!!"

"Hey Sashimi, what's wrong with that houshi?"

The tavern run by Sashimi is a popular one in its own small village. Yet earlier on this particular day a monk had appeared, he had quickly exorcized a youkai from the tavern, and then he had sat down to have a cup of sake.

"Ah, Izumo! It's amazing, I never seen someone drink that much sake."

Miroku was drunk. Of course he had less than six days to live, so he had decided that spending one of them drunker than hell wasn't so bad. Of course now he was sitting on a pillow, drinking bottle after bottle of the strongest sake in the village.

"Miroku?" 

Izumo was the chief gardener of lord Tsune-sama, whose vanilla scented castle and village wasn't far away. Izumo had been sent by Tsune-sama to find a miko called Kikyo who was supposed to be very skilled at healing people, and now they had decided to spend the night at this tavern. Kikyo was worried because she needed to find her soul snatchers soon, she was feeling queasy, but she'd wait till Izumo was asleep to go to them.

Now however, she spotted that monk, Miroku, one of Inuyasha's friends. He was at this tavern and he was drunk.

"You know that houshi, Kikyo-sama?" Izumo asked.

"Yes. Did he come here with a group of people and a hanyou?" Kikyo asked the taverns owner. The man shook his head.

  
"He was alone when he came in here."

Kikyo knew that was odd, it was not like any of Inuyasha's friends to be alone. 

"Izumo." Kikyo said. "You go on ahead to your lord and tell him I will be there soon. I wish to speak with this houshi."

"But Kikyo-sama, he is drunk." Izumo said.

"I know some herbal remedies for that." Kikyo responded. "Please, respect my wishes Izumo."

"Of course, Miko-sama." Izumo set off towards Tsune-sama's castle, which was still a distance away. Kikyo had a couple of the bar owner's sons carry the now unconscious monk out to the fields behind the tavern, then she bid them to leave her be.

After treating Miroku with some herbs, Kikyo went down to the riverbed and found her soul snatchers with a fresh supply of life for her. By the time she had taken her fill and returned, Miroku was just starting to wake up.

"Houshi." 

Miroku's eyes were still unfocused, and the hangover wasn't helping. He knew something was off, because he could feel that he had only slept less than an hour.

  
"Ehhh… Kikyo?"

Miroku looked up at the dead girl who stood over him and sighed. He had hoped to become drunk and sleep, instead he had found Inuyasha's little love interest.

"Why isn't Inuyasha with you?" The miko asked, her lifeless eyes peering over Miroku. When she looked into his eyes, she could feel death creeping over him. She knew what death felt like, for it was constantly with her.

"You are dying…" Kikyo said gently.

"And you are dead." The houshi responded inaudibly. "Please let me go back to the wine."

Kikyo shook her head. "No. Tell me what happened."

Kikyo's voice was filled with both sympathy and command. And so Miroku, knowing he couldn't get out of it, told her the whole story. Kagura, the orb, Myoga's explanation, how he had left the others in the rainy night, everything.

And when he was done, Kikyo nodded. "Very well. Get your things."

"What?" Miroku was confused by this. "Why?"

Kikyo had already began to walk away, but she turned back around. "Because you're coming with me. I'm on my way into one of Naraku's traps. Perhaps we'll find this blue eye on the way."

And once more Kikyo began to walk away, until Miroku stopped her again.  
  
"Why are you doing this? Aiding me?"

Kikyo turned her head. "You are not my enemy, nor are you my friend. You are a person in need of aid, and I am a miko. It is my duty."

"Is it that, or because I am Inuyasha's friend?" The houshi asked once more.

  
"If you keep asking questions." Kikyo said, and her voice was now icy. "Then I'll leave you here to get drunk and die."

---------------

Sango didn't know where she was, or how she had gotten there. It was some kind of cavern, which was all she could tell from sight. The walls were dark and there was no light of any kind. She could feel blood trickling down the back of her neck, but she didn't care.

She looked around, but her Hiraikotsu had been left with Kirara when she was knocked out and dragged off. She could partially remember it now. She was watching Inuyasha and Kouga argue, while she herself was worried about Houshi-sama. It was then that she felt a sharp pain in her back, and she the last thing she saw before she fainted was Shippou and Kirara being knocked out as well.

It was then that the young youkai taijiya heard a low, rumbling growl from behind her.

"Sssso, you're awake. Thatssss good. Very good. Come a little closssser."

Sango turned her head to the dark tunnels of the cave, the direction in which she had heard the voice. It was still impossible to see, but somewhere in the distance she saw two tiny yellow pinpoints, like eyes in the far away blackness.

Her thoughts turned back to Miroku, wherever he was.

"Houshi-sama." She said to herself. "Onegai hairu."

----------------------------

**Author's Notes**

Well, there's chapter three for you. I'm actually starting on four right now, so I may have it up very soon. I hope you all enjoyed this, and will enjoy the next one.

^^

Onegai hairu - Please, I beg you, live long.

Inukoro = "Mutt face", Kouga enjoys calling Inuyasha this.

Ane = A word for sister

Ja ne (See you later)

~ Golden-sama


	4. Pain of the Heart

**Sayonara, Kanashi Houshi **

(_Goodbye, Sad Monk_)

By Golden-sama

**Rated**: PG-13, for Mild Language, Violence, and Miroku's usual habits

**Summary**: Miroku discover he has only one week to live before his Kazanna devours him. How will he live his last week alive? Read it! You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll get to read one dam' good story. So what are you waiting for?

**Chapter Four**

**Itamu no Kokoro**

_ (Pain of the Heart)_

They say that the innocence and purity of a child is a wonderful thing. The ability to remain faithful to something, the ability to remain hopeful even when the worst is happening around you is something that many old men who have seen the horrors of war wish for. And yet Kohaku did not have the purity of a child. He had not only seen the worst the world has to offer, the closest thing to hell you can find on earth, but he had committed the atrocity himself.

"Kohaku, you're awake!"

Kohaku turned his battered head to the left of himself to look at Rin. She had found him yesterday, and she had been taking care of him. Jaken's herbs had helped sooth the pain, and it seamed that Rin enjoyed taking care of him. He sighed, knowing he didn't deserve anyone caring about him. Though he was glad of one thing, he was glad that it was Rin, and not _her_ who was caring for him. He could not face her now. Not knowing what he did.

"Yes, I'm fine Rin." He said, then thinking it rude to ignore her he spoke again. "Arigato."

"You're silly Kohaku." Rin said happily. "You don't need to thank me, you are Rin's friend. Rin wanted to help you."

Kohaku shut his eyes again. Friend? He didn't deserve any friends. He deserve to be alone. He wanted to be alone.

"Kohaku?" Rin asked again. He looked over at her. "Would you talk to Rin? Jaken-sama has run off to catch some fish."  
  


Kohaku really had no interest in talking to the odd younger girl, but she had saved his life, so he nodded his head and agreed. When Rin saw him nod, her eyes became wide and an even wider smile filled her face.

"Where have you been since I last saw you? What have you been doing? How did you get here? Are you hungry? Did you miss Rin?"

Kohaku sighed; he had forgotten just how much this girl liked to talk. Yet he had agreed to it, and she had been very nice to him so far, so he began to think of answers. Yet before he could even begin to speak, another voice cut him off.

  
"Rin. We're leaving."

Sesshoumaru said those three simple words and walked off without a second glance at Rin or Kohaku. It was then that Rin bit her lip. She had never once questioned Sesshoumaru, she had never argued with her beloved Sesshoumaru. He had saved her life; he had been nice to her. He was the only one nice to her since her family died. Yet still...

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" She asked, but her voice was timid and much shyer than was normal. Sesshoumaru stopped walking and turned his head to look at her.

"Rin was wondering… can Kohaku come with us?"

Sesshoumaru turned his cold eyes towards Kohaku, and Kohaku stared back up at the Lord of the lands of the West. 

"He is your responsibility." 

And with that Sesshoumaru turned back around and continued walking. Rin became very happy and ran over and hugged one of Sesshoumaru's massive legs.

"Arigato gozaimasu, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Sesshoumaru said nothing, nor did his expression change. He simply waited for a moment for Rin to release her hug on his leg, and then he once again began to walk.

Rin quickly ran back over to where Kohaku lay, and she began to help him up and lead him over to where Aun, the two-headed Dragon stood. With some help from Rin, Kohaku was able to climb up onto the saddle of the beast and sit there. Rin followed next, climbing up as well. And they began to leave as a water soaked Jaken returned, no fish, but a few bruises.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama, Jaken is sorry but -- Whaaaaaaa!?" Jaken noticed that Sesshoumaru was already far ahead in the distance, and Rin and Kohaku were leaving next on the back of that blasted dragon.

"Wait, wait, wait! Wait for Jaaaaaaaaaaaaken! Why must I always be last?"

------------

The hissing voice of whatever it was that had brought Sango here was beginning to annoy her greatly. She didn't have Hiraikotsu, but she did have her Wakizashi*, and she was skilled with a blade. It wasn't a demon that had brought her here that the youkai taijiya knew. Whatever it was was worse than a youkai.

It was then that the creature began to squirm in the distance, and begin to move towards her. The cave was too dark for sight to be of any help, but she heard a scraping noise, almost like a slithering. The two pinpoints of light that she took as eyes were now coming closer to her, and Sango would be ready.

Drawing her Wakizashi she held the sword firm in her right hand, her head still ached and she was dizzy from the loss of blood and from the head injuries, but she would not be defeated by this creature. Sango would not die, not in this God forsaken cave. She would not die here while Miroku was off spending the last few days of his life doing God knows what. If it was her fate to die, then she would die next to Houshi-sama, she would die next to her love.

"You picked the wrong person to mess with." Sango spoke into the darkness.

  
"Now I don't think sssso. I think I picked the right person, Youkai Taijiya-sssama."  
  


Sango suddenly felt the wind breaking, and she thrust her blade upward, it collided with something that felt like a trident, or a pitchfork. The beast on the other side let out a hissing laugh of glee and pulled the trident back. Sango couldn't see her enemy, and she was hurt, but she was determined to see Miroku again before she died, and that was a determination which burned inside the young girl like a undying flame. It was consuming her, the need to see him again. It kept her fighting against anything. Naraku and all the forces of hell could stand in her way, and she would still fight.

She heard the sound of the trident break through the air of the cavern and she countered it again, blocking with her sword. This time it was much less impressive than before, for Sango's hand was scraped by the Trident's edge and blood covered her enemy's weapon. Sango ignored the paid, she ignored the fact her sword's hilt was covered in her own blood. She could nurse her injuries after she killed this thing.

It was then Sango got an idea, and leapt forward in a blind rage, slashing and stabbing in the dark; she heard a hissing scream and felt a hot liquid spray at her face, she assumed that this was blood which made her happy, she had wounded it. Then she ran, ran in the dark. Ran as fast as she could looking for a light source. She needed light; she needed to see what she was fighting.

She heard the slithering behind her and she knew that this beast was following her; she knew it was mad now and if it caught her she would die. But she would not get caught by this miserable beast.

It was then she looked out across the distance and saw a small flicker of light. She moved faster than she ever had in her life, running towards that light. Towards the cave exit. With a great dive she hit the exit, flying out into the daylight sun. The cave was atop a mountain, that she realized at once. There wasn't much room to fight out here, but it was better than fighting blind.

She turned around and watched her enemy exit the cave. It was a horrible beast, from the waist up it was a woman, a horribly ugly woman, instead of skin she had scales and her hair was matted and black and untidy as it had ever been. Her eyes were a fierce yellow and her teeth were like that of a snake. From the waste down, however, she _was_ a snake. A serpent. Her enormous snake's body moved over the ground quickly, crushing small rocks as it passed. In one of her jade-skinned arms was the trident, still smeared with Sango's blood. And just below the creature's breast was a large open wound, where Sango had stabbed it, still spewing blood out of it.

Sango knew what it was at once; she had heard stories about them from her father. Naga. Great snake people who live deep under the ocean. They only come up to the surface through caves. They enter deep underwater caverns and follow the path to the surface. They hate the sunlight with a passion, but this creature's lust for the kill, her need to end Sango's life, was greater than her hatred of the sunlight.

"Where do you run to, you pathetic bitch? Where do you plan to leave? You cannot essscape!"  
  


The Naga raised it trident high over its hideous head, but Sango leapt forward and with a quick slash she took the arm clear off the beast. It howled it pain and glared at the youkai taijiya with the utmost hatred. The Naga leapt at Sango with it's teeth bared and bit her shoulder painfully, however what it wasn't ready for was the poison pellets she kept in the shoulder pad of her demon taijiya suit. The Naga spewed out a cloud of purple smoke as it began to choke. Sango jammed her blade into its chest and with a push the sword and the monster in which it was buried went off the edge of the cliff. Sango just collapsed onto her back, she had lost a lot of blood and she was short of breath.

"Houshi-sama…" She said to herself and to the wind. "Just hold on a little longer…"

------------

It was odd to Miroku that he would be spending his last days like this. Now with only four days left until he would die, he was walking beside Kikyo, on his way to a obvious trap set up by Naraku. That wasn't so odd, he had been in many of Naraku's traps before, what was odd was Kikyo was helping him. He had never really be enemies with her, but never had he been friends either.

"Izumo." Kikyo spoke to the man who led them. "Tell me of this Tsune."  
  


Izumo began to speak. He was a elder man, nearing his fifties. His hair was graying and his knees were knobby. There was a flare in his eye when she asked him this, and he began to speak with pride.

  
"Well, many, many years ago, the founder of our village picked this spot because it grows Vanilla. However this place is within the domain of the Western Lands, which at that time were controlled by a great youkai called Inutaishou. The founder of the lands caught a Neko Youkai spy, for Inutaishou was having a war with the Neko, and Inutaishou rewarded the founder by giving him a robe made from his fur. He also blessed the village and allowed us to live here. For many years that fur robe was an heirloom, but then…"

Izumo began to speak in a undertone, almost as if he hated the next part of the village's history.

"Inutaishou's mate died, and as the stories go he left his palace and took a human bride. I don't know how much truth is in this, but for whatever reason one day Sesshoumaru, Inutaishou's son, came to this village. He was angry about something and he said we didn't deserve that robe of his father. He killed the village elder and took the fur from him. But the elder knew that the fur could easily be stolen, so he cut off a piece and hid it long before Sesshoumaru came."

Miroku listened to the story eagerly, and he began to piece something together. The only thing the monk could think of that infuriated Sesshoumaru like that was his brother, perhaps the birth of Inuyasha had something to do with the village.

"Well, about a month ago our lord was a different man, his name was Shalom, and he was not as good a lord as Tsune-sama. He would take the fairest girls in the village for his own purposes, and he would take most of the harvest. Then one day a white baboon called Naraku appeared. He said he wanted the fur of Inutaishou, and Shalom said it was taken years ago, but Naraku knew otherwise. Naraku disappeared but the next day a great horde of demons attacked the village, that's when Tsune-sama and his nephew, Kohaku-sama appeared and saved us. Shalom and his sons were dead so we made Tsune-sama lord."

Miroku's heart skipped a beat when he heard Kohaku's name. Sango's brother? How could that be possible, unless…

  
"Izumo, is this Tsune-sama human?"

Izumo turned around and he looked very upset. He stared at Miroku with the utmost hatred.

  
"Well of course he's human! What the hell else would he be?"

"I meant nothing by it!" Miroku said at once, seeing how upset he had made the old man. "I just wondered how a human could fight off an entire horde of youkai."

The old man began to get even angrier, but Kikyo stepped between him and Miroku.

  
"Izumo, if you do not mind we are in a hurry." The old man still had a look of disgust on his face, but something about the dulled grayness of Kikyo's eyes informed the man it was not wise to argue.

  
The path upon which they walked was a narrow dirt road, leading from a small valley where the tavern sat up a mountain path. It was steep and slender and most dangerous to travel on if not prepared for the unanticipated. There were thick green trees all over the valley, but they faded away on the mountain trail. And finally at the top, far beyond where Miroku and Kikyo walked now, was the village. A row of trees all around it, and a shallow mountain stream that flows right through the center of the town. And there beyond the village is the red roofed castle that smells like vanilla and candle wax. There is the chamber of Tsune-sama.

And beyond that is a low mountain, and sitting upon the mountain is a white baboon with wicked eyes.

------------

Inuyasha was following Sango's scent. It had been hard to decide what to do, Miroku was missing and if they didn't follow him soon they may have no chance of finding him, but as Kagome pointed out Sango had obviously been kidnapped by some kind of youkai, and so it was that they set out after Sango.

Inuyasha was still running, as fast as his feet would carry him. Nearby Kagome and Shippou flew on the back of Kirara. Inuyasha and Kirara had easily followed Kagome's scent, but it seamed to go on and on. Now they were moving over a large grassy plane. It was then Kagome felt a tingling sensation on the back of her neck. The hairs all down her spine were tingling and standing up straight.

"Shikon shard, Inuyasha, not far ahead."

It was then Inuyasha stopped running, because he could smell it. He knew those smells. One of them was the smell of human blood, Kohaku's blood. And the other was . . .

"Damn." Inuyasha's hand went to the Tetsusaiga's hilt and he ran forward more, leaving Kagome confused and urging Kirara to follow. Inuyasha knew what that smell was who it was. 

Down at the end of the path Inuyasha stopped abruptly at what he saw. It wasn't as he expected. There was Rin, sitting on her knees eating a large green fruit. Next to her lay Kohaku, he was covered in bruises and cuts but he looked oddly happy. Not far from then was Jaken, who scream out in shock upon seeing Inuyasha. Rin and Kohaku simply turned their heads and stared at him.

"Ahhhhh! Inuyasha!" Jaken prepared his staff of heads, but in one quick motion Inuyasha grabbed the staff, threw it, and knocked the small toad demon on his head. Jaken fell to the ground as Shippou did when he was punched similarly.

"Ah, Jaken-sama? Are you ok?" Rin asked. The toad said nothing.  
  


Kagome arrived a moment later, riding on Kirara's back with Shippou in her arms. In an instant she and Shippou were over at Kohaku's side.

  
"Kohaku-kun, what are you doing here?" Kagome asked. The brown haired boy said nothing. He remembered what he had tried to do to Kagome. He remembered how he had almost ended her life.

"Hey you, girl, why the hell is Kohaku with your lot?" Inuyasha asked. Rin was far from happy. She stuck one of her small hands into her yukata and drew out a small tanto, holding it without fear she looked at Inuyasha with a cruel look.

  
"Don't be mean to Rin or my friends!" The young girl said with a fearless tone. Inuyasha just blinked. Of course never in his life would he harm a child, no matter what kind of tough guy image he had, or no matter how angry he was, he would never think of fighting Rin.

"Rin, where did you get that?"

The voice was as icy as it ever was. Inuyasha spun his head around to face his older half-brother. Sesshoumaru, however, was adverting his gaze to the small black haired girl.

"You don't need a weapon Rin."

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." She said, and she tossed the small sword aside. Inuyasha stood up and continued to stare at his brother, and now Sesshoumaru's eyes meet his own gaze. Then Sesshoumaru's emotionless face curved into a smile.

  
"So Naraku is around here. Good. Rin, we're leaving."

Inuyasha nearly fainted from shock, but instead he shouted: "Hey jackass, you better not ignore me!"

Sesshoumaru stopped walking and turned around again. "I do not have time to play with you half-breed." The one-armed youkai had a truly cold expression on his face, even colder than was usual for him.

Behind him Rin began to help Kohaku onto the back of Aun, but Kagome stopped her.

  
"Rin-chan, come on now, won't you just talk to me?"   
  
Rin stopped and looked up at Kagome, her face broke into a smile. She had always liked Kagome, she was nice. Despite what Jaken said about her. It was odd how Jaken was so wrong about Kagome, but everything he said about Inuyasha was true.

"Ok, Rin can talk, but only for a minute."

"No." Kohaku said suddenly. The freckle-faced boy picked himself up to a standing position, both Rin and Kagome tried to help him, but he pushed away all of their helping hands. He was moaning in a low growl from the pain, but he ignored it as well.

"Kagome, please, do not interfere with me. Just tell my sister I am sorry and I love her. Now please leave me alone."

Kagome watched Kohaku, and knew that if the circumstances were different, then she would never agree to what the boy had just said. Yet Miroku would be dead in less than four days, and Sango was missing and could already be dead. So she merely nodded her head.

"Rin, I said we are leaving." Sesshoumaru said once again. He was still walking away, but Inuyasha wasn't ready to let him walk off yet.

"Sesshoumaru, I know your busy playing with your little human friends, but you better give me some answ--"

Before Inuyasha could finish his smart remark, Sesshoumaru had leapt towards him and buried his poison talons into Inuyasha's neck. The hanyou let out a cry of pain as venom dripped into his neck, he pushed himself away from his brother, but already he was writhing on the ground in pain.

"I said I don't have time to play." Now Sesshoumaru's arm was resting on the hilt of the Toukjin, the sword made from the teeth of the beast that broke Tetsusaiga. And it was just as strong, for Toukjin was an even match with Tetsusaiga, and Inuyasha was already too weak to draw his sword. He said nothing, but continued to grasp his neck in pain.

As Kagome knelt down beside Inuyasha, and buried her head in her bag to try to find some medicine for her poisoned friend, she watched Sesshoumaru walk away, Rin and Kohaku following him on back of Aun.

"Waiiiiiiiiiit! Sesshoumaru-samaaaaaaaaa!!!"  
  


Jaken had woken up from his painful punching and was running to try to catch up with the rest of his group. Shippou shot a nasty look at the toad as it ran.

  
"Kagome, do you think Sango is alright?" 

Shippou hadn't spoken much since Sango had disappeared. He and Kirara had both easily been knocked out and hadn't helped her at all. And he blamed himself. He missed Sango, for she was a wonderful friend to him.

"Oh, Shippou-chan! Of course Sango is alright! Sango-chan is going to be just fine." Kagome hugged the small Kitsune to try to cheer him up.

"Hey, baka, I'm the one with a frickin' hole in my neck." Inuyasha growled. "Forget that fox and his stupid worrying."

Kagome shoot Inuyasha a glance full of more poison than his brother's claws, and the hanyou shut up, Shippou and Kirara also cowered in fear. When Kagome gets mad, she can be a scarier foe than Naraku.

-----------

Akiko's eyes had been closed for so long, that when she finally opened them it was hard to see anything. She was clothed in a kimono that reminded her more of a rag, and she could still feel the many painful and bloody cuts from Kagura's whip. She didn't remember what had happened after she had fainted.

  
"Howdy honey." Kagura said in a voice so sinister that Akiko wanted to break down and cry. "Sleep well?"

Akiko turned her head and realized she was lying down, no longer on a wall. And Kagura no longer had a whip, only a fan. And yet somehow even that fan in her hands looked dangerous.

"So you love Tsunenoku, do you?" Kagura smiled, but it was not a sweet smile, it was a smile of pain. Still Akiko didn't speak. Was this Tsunenoku, her beloved Tsune-sama?

"You know he's youkai, don't you?" Kagura said. Now Akiko knew that Tsunenoku could not be her Tsune-sama, for Tsune-sama was not a youkai.

"He's a detachment of Naraku, just like I am." Kagura said quietly. "And yet he did what I could not. He got his freedom. How did he do that? What is his secret?"

Still Akiko was quiet.

"Damn you bitch!" Kagura spat, losing any tone of compassion that was in her cold voice. "You better tell me what I want to know or I'll do a lot worse than just beat you! How the hell did Tsunenoku get his freedom!?"  
  
Kagura was holding Akiko by the front of her Kimono, shaking the young human with a force that made her cuts hurt even worse.

"Look, maybe he didn't tell you he was a youkai, but he is! And you've been serving that bastard for a month, so tell me every last little detail of his daily routine or you're going to feel some real pain."  Kagura's crimson eyes had a menacing glow to them, but Akiko would not talk.

  
If what this demon said was true, if indeed Tsune-sama was a youkai, it didn't matter to her. She loved him just the same. And she wouldn't betray his trust.

"Alright." Kagura said, dropping Akiko to the floor, the force of it caused her to scream out loud. "Have it your own way."

Kagura slashed her fan and cut Akiko's kimono off, then she crossed over to the corner and picked up a small cup filled with something Akiko couldn't see. Kagura stood over Akiko's nude, bloody form and began to empty the contents of the bowl into her cuts.

Akiko then realized what was in that bowl. Salt. She could tell from the pain she now felt from each of her many, many gashes and cuts.

"Let the screaming begin." Kagura said happily.

---------------------------

**Author's Notes**: Holy crap.

I have a TON of reviews! *Bounces around happily* 

  
Listen, to all of you readers, I haven't got this many reviews on a single story in over a year. This is a wonderful thing. I've been getting a new review by the half-hour! So I thank you.

And because you all have been so good to read and review, I'm going to make a very special chapter later on, and I hope you all like it.

Anyway, here are the translations.

**Wakizashi** = A Samurai sword, not as long as a Katana, but longer than a tanto. Mainly used for one armed combat.

**Tanto** = A samurai's dagger, about six to twelve inches long. The smallest of a samurai's bladed weapons.

**Sake** = a Japanese wine made from rice.

Oh and I know I'm missing a few translations, but I'll catch up later. ^_-

Anyway, thanks again for reading and reviewing, and keep it up! And I'll keep up the writing!

Ja ne

~ Golden-sama


	5. Onward to your Destiny

**Sayonara, Kanashi Houshi **

(_Goodbye, Sad Monk_)

By Golden-sama

**Rated**: PG-13, for Mild Language, Violence, and Miroku's usual habits

**Summary**: Miroku discover he has only one week to live before his Kazanna devours him. How will he live his last week alive? Read it! You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll get to read one dam' good story. So what are you waiting for?

**Chapter Five**

**Susume no ****Ume******

_ (Onward to the Destiny)_

Sango's eyes opened, and she had to blink several times before she could see. Her memories were fried and she had a hard time recalling where she was, why she was alone, or how she had gotten here. Then as she painfully pushed herself up to a sitting position she reached her hand into her cat suit and found a small pink flower which she had save. Then it all came back to her. Kagura's assault, Miroku's imminent fate, how he had run off in the middle of the night alone leaving her with no more than flower to remember him of, her battle with the Naga.

"Damn." She cursed quietly, unable to move herself properly up to stand. "Houshi-sama…"

Her tear-filled eyes scanned the blue horizon of sky that surrounded her mountain resting spot. She was filled with pain and sorrow and she just wanted it all to end. She wanted to go back to the way things had been before. Yet that was wishful thinking, and Sango didn't have time for that.

"I'd give anything to see you again, Hou-, Miroku." She said quietly. "Just one last time."

"SANGO!"

Her brown head instantly shot to her side as she saw something fly towards her. It was a youkai, and she was running out of weapons. However she realized quickly that this youkai was the flying form of Haichi, Miroku's friend and servant. She also realized quickly that Miroku was not on his back.

"Haichi?"

The large flying youkai stopped next to her and transformed into his Raccoon form. He ran over beside Sango and bowed low, he was crying and shaking.

"Forgive me Sango-dono! I am truly in my heart sorry!"

"Haichi." Sango said quietly, her voice full of pain. "Where is Miroku?"

Haichi looked up and nodded, then he transformed back into his flying form. "I will take you to him. Sango-sama." She nodded and with great effort was able to climb onto his back. Then he quickly took off. She knew Kagome-chan and Inuyasha would be worried about her, but she waste time telling them she was okay. She had to find Miroku, and soon.

------------

Inuyasha was still in a foul mood, ever since his brother had poisoned him yesterday. Kagome knew very well that Inuyasha was _always_ in a bad mood whenever they encounter Sesshoumaru, but she still wanted him to cheer up fast.

_'We don't need this now.'_ Kagome thought to herself. _'We need to find Sango-chan and Miroku-sama. I'm worried about them.'_

Kagome was still on the back of Kirara, with Shippou still in her arms. And Inuyasha ran by himself next to them. His neck had a large burn mark where he had been poisoned, but that couldn't be helped. 

"What the hell!?" Inuyasha suddenly stopped without warning, which Kagome hadn't counted on, and neither had Kirara. The large Neko youkai couldn't stop from colliding with Inuyasha's back, and causing all of them to tumble to the ground, quite painfully.

Inuyasha didn't seam to care. He smelled something.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she tried to move from under Kirara, luckily for her the oversized cat turned back into her chibi form.

"It's Miroku. I can smell his scent from over there." Inuyasha spoke, he pointed off into the distance a bit. Kagome peered off, and sighed. They were still looking for Sango, but now they had found Miroku. It was only then Kagome noticed the look inside Inuyasha's eyes, she knew that look, which was the way he looked at Kikyo.

  
"Inuyasha? Is it really Miroku-sama, or is it Kikyo?"

Inuyasha sighed and hung his head. "It's both."

------------

Finally now Miroku could see the city. They had arrived at Tsune's village. The gates of this secluded mountain town were high and wide, made from oak and painted red. As soon as Miroku drew close to the city, he smelt Vanilla and candle wax. He turned back to Izumo, who had been angry with him since he asked of Tsune was human, and asked a second question.

  
"Why does this place smell of --"  
  
"Vanilla and candle wax?" Izumo finished the sentence bitterly. "It's one of Tsune-sama's laws. He loves the smell of vanilla, so five times a day he has his maidens go to the top of the four towers surrounding his castle and burn some vanilla on top of a holy candle. Why do you ask, did you think he was a vanilla eating youkai!?"  
  
"Izumo." Kikyo said quietly. "If you continue to anger yourself with this Houshi, I will have to take my leave."

Izumo muttered angrily and lead them up the path through the center of town. At the back of the village was a dirt path, with great smooth stones lining the side, that lead up to Tsune's castle. Izumo lead them up this path, and Miroku and Kikyo followed in silence. Upon arriving Miroku smelt the vanilla even stronger. He saw the white mansion with the red roof and the four red towers that surrounded it. He saw the many fish ponds and sakura gardens, and standing on the steps of the main building he saw a young lord dressed in fine silk garments. 

"Tsune-sama!" Izumo said, and he bowed down to one knee. "I have brought the miko called Kikyo as you requested."  
  


Tsune's eyes were that of a human, Miroku noted, and he could sense no jyaki, so perhaps this man was not youkai.

  
"Izumo, you may leave us now." Tsune said. Then he turned around and beckoned them to follow him. He led them into his house, which also smelled of vanilla, and finally down to his chambers. He stood and looked out the silk shaded window.

"I asked for the one called Kikyo, and I got both she and the Monk Miroku." Tsune said from where he stood. "I am glad, yet I do wish Inuyasha had come with you houshi-dono."

Neither Kikyo nor Miroku spoke.   
  
"I am youkai, of course." Tsune continued. "One of Naraku's, to be exact. Yet I mean you no harm, so please do not attack me."

"Forgive my rudeness, but why should we believe you?" Miroku said. Tsune turned around with a grim grin on his face.

"Good question, houshi-dono. This is ill news, for that means Akiko and Kohaku were captured."  
  


Miroku suddenly remembered what Izumo had said about Kohaku being Tsune's nephew, and upon hearing these new words, he had to understand.

"About a month ago, Naraku created me. Strongest of all his detachments, that is how I was meant to be. Yet I spoke with Kagura one night, and I learned of the way Naraku truly is. I wanted to be free, and it was by accident that I became free. I enjoyed the smell of vanilla, so I burnt it with a candle I found in a village Kohaku and I had been sent to destroy. I learned soon after that the combination of vanilla that grows out of holy soil and a holy candle can disguise jyaki and hide youkai eyes."

That at least Miroku could understand, that explained the vanilla and candle wax smell to this place.

  
"I also learned that it could weaken Naraku's control over us. Kohaku was able to regain his memories from the scent of the vanilla and holy candle. So I made Kohaku distract Naraku, while I stole back my heart from him. Soon afterward Kohaku and I escaped from his palace. Naraku was searching for us when he found this town and heard about Inutaishou's fur. He attacked it and that is when I learned that this town was blessed by Inutaishou, and it grew vanilla. I saved the village from Naraku, and they made me lord. Yet now Naraku comes back for both me and the fur."

"Why." Kikyo asked solemnly. Tsune turned and stared deep into her lifeless eyes. "Why does he want a scrap of fur?"

Tsune nodded and walked over to a small desk. He opened up a small chest with a key from his yukata and he pulled from the chest a scarp of white fur.

"This is all that remains of Inutaishou the great. His bones are buried far away inside the Black Pearl, and the only other bits of the great youkai are Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga, but he cannot use those."  
  
"Use it for what?" Miroku asked.

Tsune's face became grave. "Naraku wants to make this fur part of his body. Doing so would be just like making Inutaishou himself part of him. He would get the powers of the father of Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. . ."

"And he would be stronger than both of them." Miroku said to himself quietly. "We cannot allow that to happen."

Tsune laughed. "Of course not, but how do you plan on stopping him? The fur is indestructible, and the three of us alone cannot stop the massive horde of youkai that he has on their way to this place."  
  


It was then Miroku heard the silk curtains of the Lord's room open, he, Kikyo and Tsune turned around to face a white baboon. Miroku gripped his staff tightly, Kikyo loaded her bow in the blink of an eye, yet Tsune just stood there.

The baboon laughed. "At least you Tsunenoku, realize what I am."

Miroku put down the staff, but Kikyo did not lower her bow. She kept it dead aimed at the heart of the false Naraku. It was a kugutsu. A youkai's puppet.   
  
"Ah, Houshi, are you enjoying your last week? How long is it now, three days?"

It may not be the real Naraku, Miroku thought, but it had his sense of humor. He watched as the fake Naraku reached under his baboon skin and pulled out a small blue jewel. Miroku's heart skipped a beat. The blue eye.

"Miroku, would you be willing to kill Tsune and Kikyo and bring me the fur in exchange for this?"

0

Miroku smirked, and in the blink of an eye he used his staff to cut Naraku's arm off, and he grabbed the blue jewel.

"Baka." The kugutsu spat. "That's no more the real Blue Eye than I am the real Naraku."  
  


Miroku knew it was true, but just incase he slipped the jewel into his pocket. Naraku's puppet laughed.

"What of you Kikyo? Will you kill the houshi and youkai you stand next to?"  
  


It was Kikyo's turn to laugh. "I will not speak with your toys, Onigumo. If you want to talk then talk to me yourself."   
  
And Kikyo let her arrow fly into the fake Naraku. There was an explosion of light and sound, and when it faded, nothing was left but some burning monkey fur. Kikyo had a small smile on her thin lips.

Tsune laughed quietly to himself and caused Kikyo and Miroku to look at him. Tsune simply pulled aside the window curtain. In the distance they could see another white baboon, sitting on the hillside near the castle. Somehow both Kikyo and Miroku knew that this was the real Naraku. 

"He will raze this entire village." Tsune said. "He will kill all, men, women and children. And us as well."

"Yes, but perhaps we can take that bastard with us." Miroku said hopefully. Kikyo nodded her head in agreement.

---------

Sango was still in a state of pure pain. She couldn't move and didn't want to. All she wanted was to see Miroku once more. Perhaps Haichi could help her. She hoped so. 

Sango sat up as best as she could and looked at herself. Her hand was still cut up from her battle with the Naga, as was her shoulder and the back of her neck. She had a large scare on her leg and couldn't remember how she'd gotten it. None of that mattered, thought, compared to the pain in her heart.

"That tavern." Haichi said, breaking her thoughts. "Is where I dropped off Miroku-dono."

Haichi landed and waited until Sango had climbed off him before he transformed back into his former self. The brown haired girl looked over at the tavern, she was in pain yet all of that was forgotten upon learning Miroku may be on the other side of that door.

"Ahh!"

She turned back around to see Haichi shaking and pointed, turning her head quickly she caught sight of two flying objects coming towards a landing. One of them was a dragon, a two headed dragon that she had seen many times before. The other was Sesshoumaru.

She watched them land not far from the tavern. She could see Inuyasha's brother walk towards it, and he heart filled with pain once again. Could he be after Miroku? And then that pain doubled, her eyes moved to Aun, the Dragon. She saw Jaken and Rin, which was no surprise, but she also saw someone sitting between them, a young brown haired boy who was covered in bruises and cuts.

"Kohaku?" She said it as a whisper to herself at first, but then she screamed the name and began to run towards him. Kohaku turned his head to see her, and his own heart filled with pain. Sesshoumaru looked at her once, determined she was no danger to them, and then continued walking towards the tavern.

Sango arrived next to Aun quickly, but Jaken jumped down and got in her way, brandishing his staff menacingly.   
  
"Hold it right the--"

She completely ignored the toad and stepped on his head as she jumped over him. She didn't stop till she was no more than a foot from her brother. Rin looked from Kohaku to Sango and back to Kohaku.

"Please leave me alone." Kohaku said quietly. The words were like a knife stabbed her in her already battered heart. Sango could not do that.

"Kohaku, do you remember me?" Sango said.

  
"Sister, please leave me alone." Kohaku still would not look at her. He kept his eyes starring off into the distance. Sango fell to her knees, a million and one questions echoing in her mind.

"Kohaku . . ."  
  
"I said leave me alone dammit!" Kohaku screamed, and he turned around to face her, his eyes full of tears just like hers. "You have to leave here Sango, I can't see you."

Sango began to cry, breaking down at last. Between Miroku's oncoming doom and Kohaku not wanting to talk to her, she could no longer bear her troubles. She could no longer take any of the pain of this world. 

"Sister." Kohaku said, once again his eyes were not looking at her. "Don't cry, just leave me be. I cannot be around you. I can't look at you. Not after what I did. Just leave me alone."

Both siblings were crying now. Kohaku began to sob into Rin's shoulder, and Sango just sat on the grass upon her knees in a trance, silent tears running down her face.

"Rin." The voice of Sesshoumaru cut the air. "Stay here at this tavern. Jaken will stay with you. I will return later."

And with that Sesshoumaru began to follow a dirt path up the side of a mountain near the tavern. He was walking the same path that Kikyo and Miroku had. He was following Naraku. And he was determined to kill Naraku now.

----------

Tsune walked out of his palace and stood on the terrace, facing off across the vast gap of land between his castle and the mountain on which Naraku stood. Tsune's eyes were glazed and he was deep within thought, watching the evil baboon watch him.

Inside, Miroku was thinking himself, as well. He didn't know what would happen when Naraku decided to attack this town, but he had made up his mind on one thing: He would fight. He would be dead in a little less than three days regardless, so he may as well protect this village with every last breath in his body.

Beside him, Kikyo stood silent and tall. Her soul snatchers had come to bring her a fresh supply of souls, and she didn't move or speak as they hoisted the glowing souls of the dead into her body. Miroku made no attempt to speak to her or Tsune, he merely thought. He thought about a lot of things, the oncoming battle, his fate, and mostly Sango.

It was then that across the way, Naraku rose from his kneeling position and stood proud and strong. His left hand grabbed the baboon suit that he wore and cast it off. Dark haired and ominous, Naraku stood revealed. In his right hand he clutched a katana, and around his neck he wore a necklace made from the Shikon no Tama.

"He is coming for us." Tsune said. Kikyo made no acknowledgment of him or Naraku, and Miroku merely nodded.

It was as Naraku began to walk slowly towards the village that a flash of blue light smashed into the ground next to him. He narrowly avoided it. Miroku's eyes flashing to the east, where the Western Lord was advancing, Toukjin in his hand.

"Sesshoumaru. . ." Miroku said quietly. He had seen the Inu Youkai's wrath on several occasions, and he knew that this would be a battle of epic consequences.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru-dono." Naraku said with a sheepish grin. "I see you have arrived just on time."

Sesshoumaru said nothing, but he rarely spoke, in peace or combat. Naraku clutched his Katana strong in his right hand, and Sesshoumaru mimicked the action with Toukjin and his only arm.

Then Sesshoumaru leapt forward, and Naraku leapt to meet him head on. Toukjin and the Katana collided with such force that both Naraku and Sesshoumaru were thrown back, yet both of them landed on their feet, unscathed.

"Ah, have you seen my new sword?" Naraku smiled devilishly. "I forged it myself, it is called Onikage. I think you'll enjoy it, Lord of the West."

Sesshoumaru's expressionless face turned suddenly into a smirk. Naraku saw this and was pleased. Naraku then turned towards the village and cried out in a loud voice: "Korosu! Susume Korosu!" and as he did the entire mountain side began to shake, Youkai, hundreds, no, thousands of youkai began to pour from the hillside and towards the town. 

Miroku gripped his staff tightly and realized he would not die in three days.

  
He would die today.

----------

At the base of the mountain, Sango had moved away from her brother. Yet even still Kohaku thought about her as he sat beside Rin on the back of Aun. And even still Sango thought about him as she sat beside Haichi a few feet away. Rin herself looked very sad, but said nothing to anyone.

It was then they heard the explosion. Rin, Sango, Kohaku, Jaken and Haichi all turned their eyes towards the mountain that sat behind them, and watched in horror as youkai began to come forth from the woods, the rivers, from the sky itself. All of them heading towards a village.

  
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin and Jaken echoed one another as they cried, knowing that that enormous horde of youkai were heading towards the same place as their beloved Inu Youkai.

"Ah, there attacking Tsune-sama's village." The old tavern owner said to his old friend beside him on the porch of the tavern. Sango ignored them mainly, until he heard the old tavern owner say:

 "Ah, I just remember, that houshi and that miko who went up there, poor devils. They'll be killed. What you say their names were?"  
  
And when the tavern owner's old friend said: "Miroku was the houshi, and Kikyo was the miko, I think." That is when Sango's eyes widened in a silent fear. 

----------

Inuyasha had long ago picked up the scent of Kikyo and Miroku, and at once the group was faced with a tough choice. Look for Sango, or follow Miroku. In the end it was decided that Kagome would fly on Kirara and look for Sango, while Inuyasha and Shippou scouted the plains. By the time Kagome returned, unsuccessful, Inuyasha had caught the scent of Sango and Sesshoumaru, both of their scents headed the same way that Kikyo and Miroku had gone before. And so Inuyasha and Kagome were racing towards the old tavern when the youkai began to swarm the mountain.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha spat. "Naraku! He's the only one who could control an army like that!"

"Sango-chan!" Kagome suddenly cried. She was high in the sky on Kirara's back and could see the tavern. She could see Haichi, with Sango on back racing towards the mountain, and she could see Rin and Jaken atop Aun racing towards the same place.

"Why the hell am I always the last to know these things!?" Inuyasha growled.

---------------------------

**Author's Notes**

As you can probably tell, the story is winding down. My guess is there will be maybe Seven Chapters, possibly more. Anyway, here are the **translations**.

**Katana** = A Japanese sword usually used by Samurai

**OniKage** = means "Ogre's Shadow" or "Devil's Shadow"

**Korosu! Susume Korosu! ** = "Kill, Go forth, Kill!"


	6. Fire and Rain

**Sayonara, Kanashi Houshi **

(_Goodbye, Sad Monk_)

By Golden-sama

**Rated**: PG-13, for Mild Language, Violence, and Miroku's usual habits

**Summary**: Miroku discover he has only one week to live before his Kazanna devours him. How will he live his last week alive? Read it! You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll get to read one dam' good story. So what are you waiting for?

**Note**: Earlier I said this story takes place **after** episode 132, but I forgot one very crucial plot point that happens during the 120's, so this episode takes place before all of that, before the Schinintai and all of that stuff. Gomen ne for the inconvenience.

**Chapter Six**

**Fuaiyaa to Ame**

_(Fire and Rain)_

Miroku watched from the terrace of Tsune's mansion in astonished terror. The pure magnitude of the youkai that were now on their way to attack the village was incredible. Never in his life had Miroku meet a larger horde of youkai. And he knew that everyone in that village was doomed, regardless of the outcome.

"Tsune-sama!" 

Izumo had burst his way into the lord's chambers, a sword in his hand. The old man had a hurt expression on his face, and looked as if he dreaded doing what he was doing.

  
"Tsune-sama, you have been a good lord, the greatest I have ever served. Yet you must give in, give Naraku the fur, and do as Naraku wants! Please Tsune-sama, please."

Tsune turned around and peered into Izumo's eyes.

  
"And if I do not?"

"Then we will all die!" Izumo screamed. 

"We will all die anyway." Miroku said grimly from beside Izumo. "Naraku will destroy this village whether he gets the fur or not."

Izumo had never liked Miroku, and this pushed the old man over the edge. He leapt towards the houshi with the sword in his hand, yet as he did Tsune raised his own hand. The end of it shot forth, and became a blue color. It struck Izumo through his chest and ended the man's life in a flash.

"Gomen ne, Izumo. At least you have died less painfully than I shall." Tsune spoke. His eyes were now twin red orbs, and his nails and teeth had become fangs and talons. He was youkai.

"Well Kikyo-sama," Miroku said, turning to the dead miko woman at his side. "I am going to die fighting, what of you?"

Kikyo's eyes flashed in Miroku's direction and she spoke softly yet coldly. "I have no intention of returning to my grave, Houshi."

With that Kikyo leapt out off the terrace and landed on the grassy grounds below, before she had even landed she had fired three magic arrows at the advancing demon horde, and taken out a row of demons with each. Miroku smirked and sighed at the same time. "Sayonara Sango."

He ran outside and began to throw his wards at the advancing horde, he watched in satisfaction as each demon that was hit with the ward exploded in a zap of lightning. And he repeated the processes time after time.

  
Tsune had run out into the middle of the fish pond, his eyes glowing red. He let out a scream of fury and the waters began to flow around him. Tsune was a water user, as his sister was a wind user. Great spouts of waves shot from every pond and well in the village and castle, smashing demon after demon in the sky.

----

Across the way on the mountain overlooking the castle, Naraku peered into the eyes of Sesshoumaru. On their last meeting Sesshoumaru had nearly killed the dark one, with some help from Inuyasha. Yet now it didn't matter. Naraku and Sesshoumaru would finish their duel today. And only one would see tomorrow.

"Come Sesshoumaru, lord of the west, see if you can match this Naraku. See if your sword, made from my offspring, can match my Onikage!"  
  


Sesshoumaru said nothing, he only smirked. With a lightning fast leap Sesshoumaru brought the Tokuijin down towards Naraku, who countered with the Onikage and blocked his enemy's sword. The two youkai leapt apart again.

  
Tokuijin was a glow with a bright blue fury from its place in Sesshoumaru's hand. While Onikage was answering its anger with its own red glowing wraith. Then without warning both Naraku and Sesshoumaru fired twin blast from their swords. The red and blue lights connected halfway between the two youkai and exploded with enough force to kill an army of Samurai. Yet neither youkai had taken any damage.

"You have gained some strength." Sesshoumaru spoke. "And you think it makes you my equal? Baka."

The two youkai leapt at one another again, and once again their swords clashed in a fury of jyaki and light. The resulting explosion sent both of the combatants flying back to their own respective sides.

----

Miroku threw the last of his wards into the ominous cloud of youkai that continued to fly towards the village and he sighed. There was indeed little chance of survival for the village, and even less for him. He heard a noise and turned to see Aun, the two headed dragon of Sesshoumaru flying towards the swarm of demons. Aside from the dragon's fierce breath, he could see Jaken was shooting flames from his staff. And he also saw something else. Rin was sitting next to a young brown haired boy who looked a lot like . . .  
  
"Kohaku!" 

Miroku's heart skipped a beat at the voice he heard scream the name. He watched to his own mixture of joy and horror as Haichi flew up behind Aun, with Sango on its back.

"Sister, please leave me alone." Kohaku said quietly as he watched his sister fly to his side. Sango shook her head.

"Kohaku, just be careful." Sango said softly. Kohaku's eyes filled with tears and in a second he reached to his belt and pulled his Wakizashi and threw it over to his sister. She gratefully caught he sword and pulled it from its sheath.

Back on the ground Miroku watched in mute horror as Sango flew towards the oncoming swarm. He did not want her here. He did not want her to see him die.

And he did not want her to die.

It was then Miroku grabbed the prayer beads off his right hand and opened his fist. In a flash of black and purple light, several of the youkai that flew towards the village suddenly were sucked towards the Kazanna.

And Sango saw them. She looked down to the ground where Miroku stood. Her heart stopped for the briefest of seconds as she watched him there, fighting to his very death.

"Houshi-sama. . ."

She quickly kicked Haichi, whom she road on, and ordered him to fly towards Miroku. On the ground the houshi saw this and closed his Kazanna just as Haichi flew by. He leapt onto the large flying youkai and smashed his staff into his head.  
  
"Haichi I told you not to follow me!" The houshi spat angrily.

  
"Miroku-sama. . ."

Miroku closed his eyes upon hearing her voice. It was the first time she'd ever called him by his name. Turning around slowly Miroku was just in time to catch the taijiya as she dove into his arms, embracing him in a loving hug. Then she pulled away and slapped him harder than she had in a long time, before Miroku had recovered from the slap she had grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into a kiss.

Miroku melted into the kiss. The first kiss he ever shared with Sango. The best kiss he had ever shared with anyone. Naraku, and his swarm, and the yellow eye that was burning him to death from inside his hand, Miroku had forgotten them all as he kissed her.

"**_IRON REAVER_**!!!"

Miroku and Sango broke apart in astonishment, and as they did they watched Inuyasha jumping and slicing a flying youkai snake apart, not a foot away from them. Landing on his feet upon Haichi's back, Inuyasha turned to the houshi and the taijiya.

"You two can do that later dammit!" The hanyou barked. But then his face curved into a smile. "Told you we'd come for you monk."

"Sango-chan!" 

Sango turned around to see Kagome flying towards her on Kirara's back. The young miko from the future threw something to Sango, it was her Hiraikotsu. Though her right hand was still severely cut from the Naga battle, she ignored the pain and smiled at Kagome. Kagome and Shippou jumped from Kirara's back onto Haichi, and Sango leapt back onto the cat.

"Houshi-sama." Sango said turning her eyes back to the houshi. "You better not die on me."

And with that Sango flew off, tossing her Hiraikotsu towards the swarm and taking a few more off their ranks. Inuyasha gave a "Feh" and jumped from Haichi's back, Tetsusaiga was now in his hand.

  
"Time to finish these bastards!" Inuyasha cried as he fell towards the ground. "**_KAZE NO KIZU!_**"

----

Naraku collided his Onikage against Tokuijin once more and as he did he was astonished to feel the warmth of sunlight trickling on him. The great swarm of youkai had blotted out most of the light in the area, but to his disgust Naraku watched as a large yellow bolt that was becoming much too familiar to him cut through the youkai.

The Kaze no Kizu had destroyed one hundred of the youkai in an instant. There were still hundreds more, but to have so many killed at once was not a good omen for Naraku. He would not allow himself to lose once again. Never again would he allow himself to lose.

"Concern yourself with this Sesshoumaru, not my brother!"

Before Naraku could react the lord of the west had swung Tokuijin and in a flash of blue beams Naraku had lost both his arm and Onikage. He stared at Sesshoumaru in a furious wraith, which quickly turned to amusement.

"You could kill me now Great Sesshoumaru, but at what cost?" Naraku laughed.

Sesshoumaru already knew it before he even heard Rin scream. At Naraku's unspoken command, a great group of youkai attacked Aun. The Dog Demon lord was flying as fast as he could towards the sound of the girls scream, but he knew all to well that behind him Naraku's arm was reattaching itself and he was already holding Onikage again.

----

Before Kohaku knew it, a great mass of the youkai swarm had attacked Aun. Jaken's staff fire could not destroy them all, and he had already given his sword to his sister. He watched as one of the long snake demons wrapped itself around Rin and began to choke the life out of her.

Remembering how kind Rin had been to Kohaku over the last few days he was sent into a furious rage. He grabbed the youkai around its own neck and began to choke it as it was choking Rin. The beast released Rin yet to no avail, Kohaku gave one last squeeze and killed the demon.

"Kohaku. . ." Rin whispered to herself. She watched in amazement as he, even in such a painful condition, was fighting off a ton of youkai. Jaken was still burning more, yet Rin knew they could not fight them all.

"Kohaku-sama. . ." Rin whispered once more, now looking at the boy with a newfound respect. She watched him fight and wanted to help. She wanted Kohaku to be alright. And most of all she wanted Sesshoumaru-sama to come save her. 

And then in a flash of light all of the youkai surrounding them died. Even the one Kohaku had been fighting with was cut into pieces. Rin turned her head around and was sent into a new world of joy. She stared at Sesshoumaru as he stood, Tokuijin blazing in his hand.

Then Rin's expression of joy and love became horror. She watched Sesshoumaru's eyes flail open wide, and she could see the blood explode from his back. Far below on the ground Naraku had fired a energy blast from Onikage, and it had struck the Inu Youkai's spine with deadly aim.

Rin scream and cried as Sesshoumaru fell from the air towards the ground, she screamed as his grip on Tokuijin released and he dropped his sword. She cried the hardest as he fell far below her sight towards the hard earth.

She screamed the loudest when her beloved Sesshoumaru, the greatest person in her young life, was gone.

----

The youkai had reached the village by now, and they were tearing it apart. Still everyone fought on and harder than before. Tsune stood in his pond, sending torrents of water at the opposing Youkai horde.

  
A blade made from wind splashed into the water at his feet, and he turned around to where Kagura was floating down. She had a sinister grin on her face, and Tsune didn't like it.

  
"Hey little brother." She said with in a mock tone of compassion. "I think this is yours." 

To Tsune's horror, Akiko floated next to Kagura. She was clothed only in a torn kimono. At first he thought its color was red, but then he realized it had become red only because of the amount of blood that covered it. Akiko's blood.

"You bitch." Tsune spat angrily, but that only caused Kagura to laugh.

"She loved you, you know Tsunenoku. She isn't dead. I'll end her misery if you tell me how you broke Naraku's control on you."

Tsune had never been filled with such anger. His face suddenly became calm, a calm smile. Kagura didn't like it.

"You want to know how?" He said quietly. "The holy vanilla that grows in this one village alone helped me break the spell."

And as he said it, he whipped his arm out to the right, and a torrent of water smashed into the vanilla grove. By the time the crashing wave had split apart, every last shred of vanilla was gone.

Kagura screamed out in fury. "That was a mistake!"  
  
She then threw Akiko to the ground and slashed her back. Akiko let out one last scream of pain and then she lay still. Tsune looked at Kagura with the utmost hatred.

"So how about we stop screwing around and kill each other now?" Kagura said pleasantly. Tsune charged at her.

----

On back of Haichi, Miroku took turns opening and closing his Kazanna and sucking in youkai as they drew close to him. Behind him Kagome was firing holy arrows into the swarm of youkai around them. 

Yet a roar alarmed Miroku as a large worm youkai flew towards them, its hideous mouth open with alarm. Miroku was ready to open his Kazanna when he noticed that around it flew many of the poisoned insects.

A pink shining arrow flashed into the worm's head, and its body slowly broke apart into bits and pieces. Miroku turned around to where Kagome held her bow steadfast.

"If I let that thing eat you Sango-chan would never forgive me." Kagome giggled. Yet Miroku's expression was far from amused. "Down, Kagome-sama!" She quickly threw herself forward and Miroku opened his Kazanna, she fell just under its reach and watched the houshi suck in a large snake youkai that would have devoured her.

  
"Likewise, Kagome-sama. Yet I fear more for allowing harm to come to you, for Inuyasha is far scarier than Sango. Not as beautiful, but much scarier."

----

Naraku slowly walked towards the broken body of Sesshoumaru. The lord of the west was now a bloody corpse. Naraku had toyed with him long enough, now he would devour his body and his power.

"Hmph. I wonder if one as weak as you even deserves to be a part of this Naraku." 

The dark youkai reached his hand down towards Sesshoumaru's body, yet as fast as lightning the bloody body of the dog demon spun around and a whip of yellow light from Sesshoumaru's fingers flashed and severed Naraku's hand.

Pulling himself to his feet, Sesshoumaru stood once more. His back was covered in blood and more of it was dripping out by the second. His great fur that hung over his shoulder was soaked with the red liquid, yet he didn't even wince once. His face was still as expressionless as it ever was.

"You, Naraku, have done something that has cost many humans and youkai alike their lives." Sesshoumaru said coldly as he flexed his fingers and another whip of light extended from between his index and middle nail. "You have underestimated the power of Sesshoumaru."

Naraku was not amused. Already his severed hand had reattached itself to the rest of him, but Naraku had not expected to be caught so off guard. He raised his other arm, the one holding Onikage and aimed it at his enemy.

"You have great strength, Sesshoumaru. Yet you have lost your sword."

Before either youkai could act, a blast of yellow light collided with the ground only feet between them.

"Hey, jackasses, don't hog all the fun." Inuyasha growled as he and Tetsusaiga joined the fray. "The two people I hate most in the world and you've gone and beat the crap out of each other for me. Then I'll just finish you both off."

"Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru said without even looking at his brother. "Stay out of real youkai's business."

Quickly Sesshoumaru did a back flip and landed next to Tokuijin, Naraku had fired a blast of energy at him, but Sesshoumaru's light whip met it in midair and deflected the blast towards Inuyasha, who blocked it with the Tetsusaiga.

With Tokuijin glowing a cold and bitter blue in the hands of Sesshoumaru, and Onikage burning a fierce red in Naraku's grip, the battle was already guaranteed to be a mess. Yet now with the Tetsusaiga and Inuyasha in the fray, the battle would be a massacre of death and blood.

But Naraku would not allow Inuyasha to interfere. He fired a blast of red light from Onikage, not at either of the Inu Youkai that stood beside him, but away from them, at Haichi, at Kagome on his back. Inuyasha cried out in shock and cursed at Naraku as he ran to save her.

"Where were we?" Naraku laughed, turning back to Sesshoumaru. The western lord said nothing.

----

 Kagome watched as the red light flew towards Haichi. It was meant for her, and yet Miroku, Shippou and Haichi too would all die from it. She closed her eyes and screamed yet a moment later she opened them.

The red blast had been stopped mid air by and holy arrow. Kagome had not fired it, and she knew of only one other person who could have. Her eyes flew to the ground where Kikyo stood, already reloading her bow and continued to fight the youkai around her.

'_Arigato, Kikyo.'_ Kagome thought quietly as she watched the miko who looked so much like her battling the youkai.   
  
----

Kagura and Tsune were in the midst of combat. Kagura was slicing with her fan, and Tsune was countering with his fist. The water would attack at the command of the man, while the wind would counter at the thought of the woman. 

"Fuujin no mai!"

Several knives of air flew towards Tsune, and every last one of them hit him. His body was cut and covered in blood, yet he must fight on. He would kill Kagura. He leapt towards her, but the wind blew him back and he fell to the ground. Kagura was still filled with rage as she raised her fan above her head.

"Sayonara."

Suddenly Kagura cried out in pain, Tsune's eyes flashed to her legs, where Akiko lay. The young maiden, once so beautiful, now covered in cuts and bruises, had crawled through the horrible massacre around her and grabbed an arrow that lay on the ground and jammed it into Kagura's leg.

"Bitch! This time you will die!"

Kagura's fan sliced across Akiko's neck, and the young maiden finally allowed death to take her. With a gurgling sound she fell to the ground and faded away from life. Tsune screamed out in pain. She had loved him, even after learning he was youkai. She had loved him enough to give her life for him.

"Oh, I've just gotten a marvelous idea." Kagura smirked. She waved her fan and suddenly several bodies of the villagers began to move and dance. She had done the same thing to Kouga once before, with the bodies of his wolf pack. The villagers all held Tsune in place, and then to his horror Akiko's body began to stir.

Akiko's lifeless corpse, being manipulated by Kagura, walked over and picked up a sword. Then the body turned and walked towards Tsune. Tsune knew now that Kagura was a beast even fouler than Naraku. He watched as the lifeless Akiko raised the sword.

"Hey, don't you ever get any new tricks?"

Before Kagura could identify the voice, Kouga's foot had smashed into the back of her head in a sharp kick. As it did the lifeless bodies of the villagers and Akiko all fell to the ground, sleeping the eternal sleep once more. Tsune didn't know who the wolf youkai was, but he was thankful that he came when he did.

Kagura pulled herself to her feet, yet even as she did Kouga smashed another kick into her chest and throat. Kagura flew backwards into the wall of the mansion, coughing and hacking.

"I guess I'm late for the party." Kouga laughed, and then he ran towards Kagura once more. This time her wind blades sliced into his side and sent him falling onto his back. Kagura had no intention of fighting the pair of them, and she quickly used a feather from her hair to fly away, cursing at them all the while.

----

On Haichi's back, Miroku and Kagome were still fighting the best they could. Kagome was low on arrows, and Miroku couldn't keep his Kazanna open due to the poisoned insects.

  
"Dammit, Kagome-sama I can't fight like this without being poisoned."  
  


"But Miroku?" Shippou said from below the houshi's feet. "Aren't you dying anyway?"  
  
"Shippou-chan!" Kagome yelled angrily. The small Kitsune hit himself in the forehead and began to call himself a baka time after time.

"Shippou, you're a genius! All this'll do is make me die today instead of three days from now!"  
  
"Miroku-sama, no!"

Yet Kagome's words were lost. Miroku knew the only way to stop the horde of demons from destroying the city and killing the remaining villagers was to suck them all in.

"**KAZANNA!**"

The houshi opened his wind tunnel, and this time when the poisoned bugs drew close he sucked them in too. All Kagome could do was watch in horror. Miroku grunted and groaned as he absorbed the bugs, yet it didn't matter. In mere seconds he was thinning out the numbers of the youkai. They were being absorbed by the hundreds.

Far below on the ground, Aun had landed and was in a fierce some battle. Rin and Jaken had not seen Sesshoumaru rise back to his feet, and did not know that at this very moment he was smashing Tokuijin into Onikage. If they had known they may not have landed and began looking for his body, but they didn't know.

Kohaku had found a sword where one of the villagers dropped it upon death, and he was hacking away at youkai. Next to him Rin was crying and thinking of Sesshoumaru, remembering the way he had fallen and left her. Just as her father and brother and mother had done so longer ago. Behind her Jaken was attacking with his staff, yet they had little chance of survival.

Sango had saw her brother fighting the good fight and losing, and she had charged on Kirara in his direction. She slashed away at the youkai with her sword and smashed them with the Hiraikotsu.

When the last of them died, Sango fell to her knees. She looked at Kohaku with teary eyes and he looked back at her.

"Sister . . ."

Finally Kohaku realized that no matter how afraid he was of what he may do to her, he missed her more. Dropping the sword and running he threw himself into Sango's arms.

  
"Kohaku."

The siblings sat there and hugged, and she let her brother break down and cry. The youkai around them were being sucked away, sucked towards the Kazanna high above.   
  


"Kohaku?" Sango said quietly. Her brother lifted his head and stared into her teary face. "Stay here with Rin and Jaken, I'll be back in a second."  
  
"No!" Kohaku refused to let go of her, but Sango lifted his head back so that they looked into each others eyes.   
  
"Kohaku, I will be back. I promise you."

Kohaku nodded and released his grip, and in a second Sango was on her way flying towards Haichi. She had to stop Miroku from sucking in those bees before he died. She knew in her heart he would die regardless of what happened, but she needed him to live as long as he could.

Rin walked over to Kohaku and placed a small hand on his shoulder. He turned his head and looked at her.

"Kohaku-sama." Rin said quietly. "Rin knows how scary it is to lose those you love." Kohaku nodded to her, his eyes full of tears. "But Rin must go. Because Rin loves Sesshoumaru, and Rin won't lose him too."

She turned around to where Jaken stood. "Jaken-sama, lets go save Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Rin." Kohaku said in a whisper. "I'm coming too." The freckle-faced boy turned back to look up at Kirara flying away from him. "Live Sister, please."

----

Tokuijin and Onikage collided again and again, each time there was a clang of steel and a flash of jyaki. Despite his wounds, Sesshoumaru would not allow himself to lose to Naraku. He had faced many foes that were just as bad. Sesshoumaru was not to die on this day.

With one more swing, Sesshoumaru smashed his sword into Onikage with all of his strength. There was a cracking sound, and he watched as Naraku's sword broke in a flash of red flames.

Naraku was in a fury that knew no bounds. So angry was he that hell itself would have cowered before him in fear. Yet Sesshoumaru did not. He was winning.

"Naraku!"

What neither of them had expected was Tsune. The youkai had found Naraku and was standing upon a hill. He ran towards Naraku, but quickly it was Naraku who was running towards him.

"Come back to me!"

There was a flash of light and Tsune had vanished from the spot on which he stood. Back into the depths of Naraku's body had he vanished too. The increase in his strength was enough to give Naraku confidence against Sesshoumaru.

Yet it didn't matter, for laying on the ground where Tsune dropped it was the last piece of Inutaishou's fur. Sesshoumaru saw it, and suddenly he realized why Naraku wanted the fur. Fear gripped the lord of the west, for if Naraku absorbed the fur, if Naraku got the powers of his father, then Sesshoumaru would die.

"Hah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Naraku looked down at the fur with glee. "This is over now!"

Naraku reached for it as the Kaze no Kizu smashed into the ground beside him. The force from Tetsusaiga's attack caused the scrap of fur to fly into the air and it got caught in the wind of the Kazanna.

"This is just getting started bastard!" Inuyasha barked and he landed near Naraku. Naraku glared at the hanyou with the utmost loathing.

----

Kirara arrived next to Miroku and Sango leapt onto Haichi's back and slapped the houshi across his face. Miroku fell onto his back, and the Kazanna finally closed.

  
"What are you thinking houshi-sama!?" Sango yelled. "There were poisoned insects!"

Miroku looked up at the brown haired girl and his eyes filled with tears. "Sango, it doesn't matter. I'm already going to die, remember?"

Sango fell to her knees and then buried her head into Miroku's shoulder. She was punching his shoulder time and time again and crying. She had lost him this time for good. He was going to die, and nothing could save him now.

Kagome watched the two of them and began to cry herself. It was as she was crying that she spotted a small square of fur lying on Haichi's back. It must have blown up when Kazanna was open, and landed there when Sango had stopped it. She picked it up and at once was reminded of Inuyasha's hair, or Sesshoumaru's for that matter.

Miroku opened his eyes and spotted Kagome with the fur. "Kagome-sama, where did you get that?" 

She turned to him, and Sango looked up at him with teary eyes. The houshi sat up and took the fur from Kagome's hands.

"This is what Naraku is after. . ." Miroku whispered. "It means Tsune is dead . . ."

----

Naraku was in a rage of epic proportions. First his new sword had been broken by Sesshoumaru, and now the fur was taken right from his grasp by Inuyasha. He would not accept this. Not at all.

Behind him Sesshoumaru was standing, Tokuijin in his hand. In front of him Inuyasha and Tetsusaiga blocked his path. Despite all their hate for one another, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had made an unspoken pact to kill Naraku before they turned on one another.

"You two grow ever more bothersome." Naraku spat. Inuyasha smirked and ran forward, that was what Naraku had waited for. As Tetsusaiga was falling towards his face Naraku erected his barrier suddenly. Inuyasha didn't have the time to transform his sword and instead the normal Tetsusaiga slashed into the barrier, and it and its owner were thrown backward into the ground.

Sesshoumaru let out an "Hmph" upon watching his brother fall to the ground from the barrier. The Western Lord did not like this turn of fate, but he could not break the barrier, and Inuyasha was useless.

Naraku laughed before he shot off into the air, flying towards Haichi and the fur. Sesshoumaru was ready to follow when he heard his voice cried out by Rin.

The Demon Lord turned around and spotted young Rin and Jaken running towards him, both teary eyed and their arms wide open. Behind them Kohaku moved along slowly, making sure nothing tried to harm Rin or Jaken.

'_That boy, he protected Rin before. And now he does the same. It is different. When I first saw him he was under Naraku's control, and he had no fear or emotion. Now he had fears and he has emotions yet still he protects Rin fearlessly. Never have I seen a human fight in the way that he does._'

Rin grabbed onto Sesshoumaru's right leg and began to cry as she hugged it. Jaken did the same thing, but he was hugging the left leg. It was rather heartwarming and cute when Rin did it, or so Inuyasha thought as he watched from his spot on the ground, yet rather pathetic and sad when Jaken did the same.

"Sesshoumaru-sama." Kohaku said. The Dog Demon said nothing but he did turn his cold eyes to the boy. Inuyasha watched breathlessly, ready in case he needed to save Kohaku. To both he and Sesshoumaru's surprise the boy dropped to his knees and raised a sword above his head. With his right hand he held the hilt and the blade rested on his left. He held it as if presenting it to Sesshoumaru. "I pledge myself to your service, and to Rin's."

The Dog Demon turned away from the boy and began to walk in the direction of Naraku's path, then he stopped and turned his head around to face the human boy. "Then protect her."

----

As Miroku, Sango and Kagome looked at the small piece of fur, Haichi suddenly screamed. They turned around to see Naraku in his barrier lowering himself onto the end of Haichi. The barrier disappeared around him and he stood staring at the same fur.

"Give it to me houshi."

Miroku clutched his staff hard, Sango had her hand on her sword, and Kagome held the last arrow in her bow and aimed it at Naraku. The demon ignored their threats and walked forwards.

"Give it to me and I will give you what you seek."   
  
Naraku reached into his robe and pulled out a small blue orb, the blue eye of Garudomaru. Miroku's heart skipped a beat. Sango looked at it, the small orb of blue. The one thing that could save her beloved's life.

"Now houshi."

"Go to hell." Miroku said at last. Naraku narrowed his eyes and suddenly he squeezed his hand and smashed the blue eye. Both Miroku and Sango watched in horror as it crumbled into tiny pieces and fell from the demon lord's hand.

"Then I shall see you when I get there, Houshi." Naraku smirked.

Miroku threw his staff aside suddenly, taking Naraku by surprise, in a flash Miroku's Kazanna was open and sucking in the demon's direction. Poisoned bees flew towards it at once, but Miroku didn't care.  
  
"I'm a dead man, remember?" He snarled. Naraku jumped from Haichi's back, not wanting to be sucked into the Kazanna, and fell below. What the demon lord had not expected was that below him stood Sesshoumaru, Tokuijin in hand. His barrier flared up again and he flew away from the Inu Youkai. He landed on the terrace of the mansion.

  
"You will all pay in time." Naraku growled.

"Onigumo." The voice was a stab into Naraku's soul. He turned around to face Kikyo behind him. On the other side of the Terrace he could see Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha and Kouga all on their way to him. Haichi too flew towards him, bringing Sango, Kagome and Miroku. It appeared that no matter how much his enemies may hate each other, they hated him more.

"Hmm, I've been saving this for a rainy day."

Naraku's barrier flailed up again. Already Inuyasha had transformed his Tetsusaiga into its barrier breaking form, and was ready to smash away at Naraku. Yet the Dark Hanyou would not allow it. Naraku flew high into the air, and as he did the shards of Onikage flew to his side.

"If I cannot send you to hell, then I send hell to you!"

The shards of Onikage flew into the clouds, and as Naraku flew away escaping, great balls of fire and smoke began to shoot forth from the clouds. They fell like rain towards the remains of the village and towards Naraku's enemies. The ground exploded into flame around them as they touched it.

"Sayonara, bakas." Naraku growled as he vanished from sight.

All of the eyes on the ground looked up at the raining flames, realizing that there was no way to escape from them. Inuyasha looked to his companions, and quickly took his outer robe off and threw it over Kagome's head.

  
"It protects you from fire, remember?" The hanyou said. Kagome looked at him with teary eyes and tried to give the robe back, yet Inuyasha refused.   
  
"Inuyasha, if you give this to me then you'll--"

"Wear it dammit."

Not far away Sesshoumaru stood. He could outrun the opposing doom easily, yet his eyes moved to the east, where Rin, Kohaku and Jaken sat beside Aun, watching the flames in horror. Sesshoumaru could not help them. And doing something that surprised him more than anyone else, Sesshoumaru decided to stay and burn with them. 

Kouga was leaning against a wall, shaking his fist in anger. He failed to avenge his wolf pack. He failed to kill Naraku. He failed his dead friends, he failed his living friends, and he failed Kagome. 

Lying against the wall of the terrace to the western end was Miroku. The poison had already taken hold on him and he could not move. Sango held him in her arms, her eyes full of tears. Neither one of them spoke; they just stared at one another. Miroku wanted to save Sango somehow, yet he could not.

And standing behind them all was Kikyo. She didn't move or speak to anyone; she simply stared at the sky, stared at the flames. 

Staring at death . . .

--------------------------

**Author's Notes**: Well, I worked for hours to finish this as soon as I could, and here it is. Chapter six. There is only one chapter left. Only one. I promise I'll have it finished as soon as I possibly can.   
  


Thanks for reading, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

**Arigato!**

**Ja**** ne**

**~ Golden-sama**


	7. Miracles and Love

**Sayonara, Kanashi Houshi **

(_Goodbye, Sad Monk_)

By Golden-sama

**Rated**: PG-13, for Mild Language, Violence, and Miroku's usual habits

***New* Summary**: Miroku's life has been saved for now, but it still isn't the end of the horrors to come. Naraku's evil plan has just taken shape and the Sad Monk's life is about to go from bad to worse.

**Chapter Seven**

**Kiseki to Ai**

_(Miracles and Love)_

Miroku's eyes scanned the burning red sky as he watched the great balls of flame fall all around them. The city and the forest and the plains were all burning. The entire mountain that Tsune's castle was once built on was now engulfed by Naraku's venomous flames. And Miroku watched it all as the poison gripped his system; he watched it from the loving arms of Sango.

He was dying now, from the curse of Garudomaru's yellow eye, from the poison of the bees, and if that did not kill him, then from the fire of the shards from Onikage, that would soon burn everyone.

No one was speaking, save Shippou, who was crying loudly from where he was hugging Kagome's leg beneath the Fire Rat cloak. Kagome's eyes were filled with the same tears, for she alone would survive the flames. She didn't want to, she didn't want to go out like this, but Inuyasha would not allow her to remove that cloak.   
  
No one else would take it, either. Kouga was as stubborn as Inuyasha, and was at last agreeing with him that Kagome should wear the cloak. Sango was too involved with the dying houshi to have even taken notice. And Sesshoumaru and Kikyo were both so quiet they could die and not be noticed.

Jaken, Rin and Kohaku had taken refuge under Aun, but the Dragon could not protect them from the rain of fire. Rin was leaking silent tears, and Jaken was crying loudly about all the things he had still yet to do in his life. Kohaku was even more silent than Kikyo or Sesshoumaru; he just sat there with a silent grin on his face, knowing that now he would burn as he should for what he did to his father.

"Sango." 

The houshi's voice was so timid and quiet that Sango wouldn't have been able to hear it if not for the silence by everyone. The teary eyed Taijiya looked down at Miroku's face, which was wearing an odd sort of grin.

"Sango, can you help me raise my arm?"

Sango did not understand at first, but Miroku struggled with his right arm. She suddenly understood: Kazanna. The Air Void may be able to absorb these flames, as long as Miroku's life held out. Yet the monk was too weak to move, much less suck in a rain of fire.

"Sango, if you can just prop me up with the Kazanna open, it could give you all the time you need to escape."  
  


Kouga turned his head at this and looked at the houshi with a strange look on his eyes. Humans were funny creatures; he didn't like them, most of them. Kagome was the exception. And yet somehow Kouga knew that this houshi had some kind of nobility to him. Hell, if the guy was going save their lives, he didn't care if he was human or youkai.

Yet not everyone thought in the way of Kouga. Sesshoumaru did not care for Miroku's aid. He had chosen to stay here and die. Why, the great Western Lord did not know. He was unsure of the true reason, perhaps it was because of Rin, perhaps because he knew now that Naraku had the fur of his father, and he could never stop him.   
  
It was then that the Lord of the West gazed his emotionless eyes at Miroku, and noticed that a small scarp of dirty fur was lying on his chest. The fur of Inutaishou. It dawned on Sesshoumaru then that Naraku had not gotten the fur, and he was not yet too powerful to be killed. Something deep inside Sesshoumaru became angry. He was now going to die for no reason. With the smallest of sighs he lifted his head back to the sky. Yes, he could live if the houshi's plan worked, but to owe his life to a human, much less a friend of Inuyasha, was nothing that he desired.

"Sango, please. You have a chance to save yourself and the others. Please do as I ask."

Sango nodded grimly, and she bent down low and placed a kiss on the houshi's face. Then she lifted his right arm to the sky and Miroku uncurled his hand. The Kazanna shot open and began to suck, just in the right time too, for large flames had already burnt most of the mountain side around them, and now they were on their way to burn them.

Naraku's flaming rain fell in a pattern; it first burnt to all sides of the group of his enemies, and then began falling inside the ring of flames that it had created. It was then that the Kazanna burst forth and began to take it the flames that would have been the end of their lives.

"Miroku-sama. . ." Kagome whispered. Even as death began to take him, he was still helping his friends. It was then she felt Inuyasha's hand on her shoulder.

  
"Let's go Kagome. He'll be dead any minute and we don't have time to mess around."

Inuyasha's words sounded cold in her ears, but Kagome knew they were the cold truth. Miroku would die now no matter what happened, and he had decided to die saving their lives. Sango lay next to Miroku and smiled as she held his arm up.

"Yo, houshi." Kouga said. "You're not too bad for a human."

Kouga then shoot a loving glance at Kagome, which infuriated Inuyasha, and took off towards the ring of fire, with one good jump from his Shikon shard infested feet he made it clear over the flames and to safety.

Sesshoumaru said nothing; he merely stood in the same spot. He turned his silver haired head to the east and glanced over to Aun.

"Rin, leave."

Rin did not have time to argue, but the teary look on her young face asked all the questioned she needed too. 'What about you?' And the expressionless eyes of Sesshoumaru were all the answer she needed. She knew he would survive, how she didn't know, but she knew he would.

Rin and Kohaku both climbed on the back of Aun and Jaken quickly grabbed onto the tail. As the two headed dragon began to fly away Kohaku looked back down to his sister, and he wondered if he'd ever see her again. He hoped so.

"Ain't you going with them?" Inuyasha growled rudely to his brother.

"I do not need a human to save my life, little hanyou. I shall leave after the houshi is dead."

Inuyasha was filled with fury, but he didn't have the time to argue or fight with his brother. He had to get Kagome out of here. He had to protect Kagome, and also . . . His eyes glanced back to the terrace, where Kikyo once stood. To his surprise he found her walking away, already on the other side of the wall of flames. As if sensing his stare the miko stopped and turned her head over her shoulder. The lifeless eyes of his former love held no words for him before she broke the gaze and continued walking away.

"Inuyasha, hurry."

It was Sango's voice. The Kazanna was sucking slower and slower, and more and more of the flames from the sky were crashing around them in small puddles of fire. Miroku was slipping from the world and their window of safety was vanishing.

"Sango-chan?"

Kagome had been wondering something. She knew that without Sango's help, Miroku could not continue sucking in the flames from above. So then, Kagome wondered, how would Sango escape? One look at her friend told Kagome the grizzly answer, and she didn't want to believe it. It was horrible beyond all horrors that she was losing Miroku-sama, that never again would she see the monk smile, or think, or hit on the pretty village women, but to lose Sango as well was more than Kagome could take.

Kagome quickly took off the fire rat's robe and threw it over Sango.

  
"That way you'll survive too, Sango-chan." Kagome said, but before she had even finished speaking, Sango threw the robe back to her.

  
"Kagome-chan, Gomen nasai."

If he had the strength, Miroku would have argued with Sango and forced her to leave. Yet his time was ending and he had but moments left to live. He couldn't stop her if he tried. And part of him wanted her with him in the end.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha punched the ground, a lone and silent tear leaking from his face. "I don't get this, this isn't supposed to happen!"

It was then Sesshoumaru let out a low laugh that caught everyone's attention. Inuyasha was growling from the ground and he looked ready to kill his brother. He looked down at Inuyasha and his face was twisted into a cruel grin.

"You truly want to save their lives, don't you hanyou?"

Sesshoumaru's hand moved to his sword's hilt, and in a second Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga. Yet to his utmost surprise, it was Tenseiga, not Tokuijin that was in his brother's hand. Walking past Inuyasha and ignoring him completely, the Lord of the West slammed Tenseiga into the Kazanna. Miroku screamed out as his body was filled with pain, and Sango stared up at the lord of the west with hatred in her eyes.

Then Miroku felt it, he could feel the poison that was consuming his body vanish. He could feel it leave him and he could feel strength returning. With a satisfied grin on his face, Sesshoumaru removed his sword. Something flashed with a deadly yellow lightning bolt from the end of his sword, and to Miroku's utmost amazement the small yellow orb that Kagura had tossed into his Kazanna was stuck to Tenseiga. The orb shattered, and suddenly Miroku realized that his life was saved.

With newfound strength, Miroku pulled himself to his feet. The last of the flaming orbs of the sky were falling now, and he opened his fist once more. The Kazanna began to suck with a newfound fury, and the last flames flew into the void of air. Sango could not believe what she saw.

Then Sesshoumaru began to walk away, but as he did Inuyasha stopped him.

"Why did you save him?"

No one spoke as the Western Lord turned around to face his brother. "To teach you a lesson you should have learned a long time ago." With a satisfied smirk, Sesshoumaru kicked Inuyasha in the stomach with lightning relaxed. The hanyou fell to the ground and began to cough.

  
"You used every bit of your power to try to save your friend, Inuyasha. Yet you are hanyou, and you could not. Let this be a lesson that only a _real_ youkai has the power to decide life and death. Do not forget your place ever again, dog. Do not forget that in the end, now matter how powerful you become, you are still a human."

And Sesshoumaru turned around once more without another word to any of them and began to walk away. Inuyasha stood to his feet and prepared a Kaze no Kizu, but Kagome put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. Even if it had only been to humiliate Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru had saved Miroku's life.

--------

"Disappointing, isn't it?"

Far away from the mountain where Tsune's village had once stood, was an old forest, filled with the darkest youkai to wander the planet. And among them in this place of horror were Naraku and his servants, Kanna and Kagura.

"Kagura." Naraku said quietly from below his baboon skin. "If you speak again I shall kill you."

The trees in this forest were all dead already, and the ground was covered in a green slim that would burn humans to death. A large youkai was rolling around in this slop, enjoying itself. Above it in a tree sat the baboon.

"The houshi has survived." Kanna said in a voice that was filled with less emotion than Kikyo and Sesshoumaru both.

"I know that!" Naraku snapped. The small white haired girl still said nothing and just continued to stare. Naraku was furious today.

"It does not matter."   
  
The baboon jumped down into the slop. The large youkai growled menacingly at him and charged. As he did there was a flash of light and the youkai had been devoured.

"This is only just getting started. Has Kohaku come back yet?"

"Not yet." Kanna spoke again in her voice. "But he will. Tsune's spell can not hold forever."

Naraku smirked behind the baboon skin. "Good. Kanna, when Kohaku is ready to become mine again, tell me. I have very large plans for him."

----------

The day had been long, giving burials to the dead of Tsune's village. There were no survivors. Everyone had been killed by youkai or burnt by Naraku's flames. Miroku and Sango had been so busy burying the dead that they hadn't had the time to speak to one another about anything that had transpired between them.

Now it was nightfall, and the two of them sat on the end of the scorched hill. Neither of them looked at one another, but slowly the gap between them closed and before long Sango was leaning against Miroku, his arm around her shoulders. Behind them Inuyasha and Kagome sat themselves by the dying camp fire. They pretending not to be watching, but they were. 

"Houshi-sama . . ."  
  


"Don't say anything." Miroku said at once. "Let's not ruin this moment."

Kagome let out a happy sigh as she watched her friends, but all too soon the sound of a slap echoed in the night.  
  
"What the hell was that 'let's not ruin this moment' crap, Houshi-sama!?"  
  
"Ahh, how I have missed that slap. And that butt --"

  
A second slap and now Kagome just sighed and fell down to her back. She didn't want to watch the romance when it turned back into petty arguing.

"Feh, what a baka. He was torn in pieces worrying about losing her, and as soon as everything works out he ruins it." Inuyasha laughed.

  
"You've almost lost me before, and you never change the way you act." Kagome whispered. Inuyasha sweat dropped for a moment before something cleaver came to him.  
  
"Well that's different Kagome; I'm not in love with you like he is with Sango."

Shippou winced and shook his head. He hoped he would never grow up, because it looked like grown up men acted like complete idiots. Kagome turned over on her side ignoring the dog demon and began to cry silently.

  
"Oh, that isn't what I meant Kagome!"  
  


She ignored him, but he crossed over and grabbed her shoulder and pulled her so that she faced him.

"I just mean I don't love grabbing your ass like Miroku! I never said I didn't love you." Even as Inuyasha said these words, he had a look on his face that told Shippou if he made one comment that he'd be killed. Kagome apparently had forgiven Inuyasha, because she reached forward and hugged him.

"Hey! Kago-me! You're supposed to snuggle with me at night, not that baka!" Shippou complained.

"Why don't you just shut up raccoon?"

Haichi moved his head at this, but realized it was Shippou he meant. The small Kitsune became very mad at this.  
  
"Sorry Inuyasha, I didn't know it was your turn to snuggle."

Inuyasha blinked. "I'm _not_ snuggling. I don't snuggle."

"Then what are you doing?" Shippou asked.

"Err, umm, I. . . I'm groping her like Miroku!" And with that Inuyasha moved his hands from around Kagome's back to a place much lower. In an instant he regretted it.

  
"Oswari!"

  
"Oww, no it's not what you thi--"

"OSWARI!"

"Let me explain--"

"Oswari! Oswari! Oswari! Oswari! Oswari! Oswari! Oswari!"

"Would you stop a minute--"

**"OS - WA - RI!!!!!!**"**  
  
**

And so every truly was back to how it had been a few days ago when the entire mess had started. Kagome was sleeping peacefully with Shippou in her arms like a stuffed toy, Inuyasha was sitting in a large hole, not moving much, Miroku had a large red slap mark across his cheek, and Sango was sleeping with Kirara keeping her eyes on the houshi.

And yet even as it happened, Sango had a strange smile on her face. She was in love, even if Houshi-sama did act like a baka most of the time, it was still love.

"Oyasumi, houshi-sama."

-----------------------------

Oyasumi, houshi-sama = Goodnight, Master Monk  
  
Author's Notes  
  
Yes, it was short, and yet it was the ending. This is the end of Sayonara, Kanashi Houshi.  
  
I hope you all enjoyed reading this even more than I did writing it.  
  
Arigato gozaimasu, for all of the reviews. ^^  
  
And I hope you all will enjoy my next project just as much as you did this one. Yes, I am writing another story. What it shall be, I haven't decided yet, but if you'd like to receive an email when it's up, then just leave a email in your review and I'll be more than happy to tell you.  
  
Arigato gozaimasu once again for reading and I hope you all enjoy the next story as much as you did this one.  
  
Sayonara,  
  
~ Golden-sama  
  
Goldensama@aol.com


	8. Note for all the Readers

**Konnichiwa!  
  
**

Listen up m' readers, I've got some good news.

Now this story is my favorite piece of work, it's gotten more reviews than anything else I ever did, and I truly enjoyed writing it. And because of that, well . . .

  
Now I, originally, was thinking of making a sequel to this story, in fact I even wrote 2 chapters of that sequel,

But I lost site of the big picture. I made a sequel because I was greedy for reviews and I wanted to make a "bigger" more "exciting" story, which in turn made it fail.

  
Now I'm back on track, I'm going to forget my ideas for a sequel and just continue the original one.

  
Where Sayonara, Kanashi Houshi stopped at chapter seven is in the past, because I have now begun work on chapter eight, and this story will continue until I decide to stop it.

So I hope all my old reader's will come back and read the rest of what has become my favorite story I've written in years.

So what do you reader's say, do you want to see more of the old story? And if you do, then just tell me in the review or email me if you want.

**^^  
  
Sayonara, for now**

**~ Golden-sama**


	9. Darkness of Tomorrow

**Back by Popular Demand!**

**InuYasha**

**"Sayonara, Kanashi Houshi"**

**Season 02**

**Rated**: PG-13 for Violence (Inuyasha), Profanity (also Inuyasha), and Mature Situations (Miroku)

**Summary**: Miroku has survived his near death ordeal, and has realized his love for Sango, but now the pair will be walking into an even darker plan of their fated foe. They say love conquers all, but can it conquer the evil of Naraku? S/M I/K 

**Disclaimer**: I do not own InuYasha® or any characters. This story was written strictly out of the fact I enjoy writing and I enjoy watching InuYasha®. I am making no money off of this, only reviews.

**Chapter Eight**

**Yami no Ashita**

_(Darkness of Tomorrow)_

The ominous castle loomed in view over the shadowed lands. Once the great castle had stood proud and strong, and all matter of men respected and revered it. Now that had all changed. The Lords and Samurai who had once dwelt in that castle were gone, killed by a demon of unnatural and unholy power.

Kagura was tired; she had spent the entire day bewitching the corpses of the dead and making them kill the living. By noon the entire town and castle was extinct, and still it was all too mundane. She hated doing what she knew she must do. Every time she watched one of the men or women die, she watched the fear in their eyes as their life and blood drained away from them; she imagined that it was Naraku who was dying.

He knew. He knew she wanted him dead. He knew that by containing her free will, by forcing her to be his slave by keeping her heart in his possession, that she wanted him dead. He knew her plans to kill him. Naraku knew every detail of Kagura's mind. From her lust for freedom, to her desire for his own death.

And she knew he knew. It was no secret that one day Kagura would betray him. He simply didn't kill her or absorb her back into his body because she was harmless, and he became amused at her pain. 

And on this day Kagura lay out on her back on the edge of the tall castle walls, staring up at the starry night sky. She could feel the wind blowing at her and she gave a quiet sigh, wanting more than anything to join the winds of the world and blow away from this place. Naraku, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, she never wanted to see any of them again. 

Although she did want to see Sesshoumaru. She believed with every bit of her soul that he and Toukjin had the power to destroy Naraku, of course, Naraku wasn't for sale. He wouldn't do her dirty work for her, and since Naraku kept her heart and life in his kimono pocket, she couldn't do it herself.

With a sigh the Kaze Youkai lifted herself to a sitting position and stared down. She had heard the quiet footsteps of Kanna, who, while she looked younger, was truly Kagura's elder sister. The eldest of Naraku's detachments.   
  
"What?" Kagura spat sourly.

"You have a job." The pale girl said. Her voice was free of any form of will, or mind. She had no mind. Naraku had created her without a heart or soul. She simply existed, she didn't truly live.

"Well _what is the job_?" Kagura was becoming annoyed. She was in a bad mood tonight. "I already killed everyone."  
  


Kanna shook her head slowly from the left to right. "You must ask Naraku-sama."

Kagura sighed and muttered some four letter words as she ran down towards the dungeon of the castle. She could smell something that churned her stomach and she truly hoped Naraku wasn't doing what she suspected.

Surely enough when she arrived Naraku was sitting in a corner naked, and growing from his back was a large purple cocoon. It oozed a foul smelling green liquid and Kagura sighed. She didn't need another stupid detachment walking around for her to obey.

"Kagura." Naraku said quietly with an evil grin. "Do I disgust you so?"

"Yes." Kagura said with all honesty. In recent weeks she had dropped the act of trying to pretend she didn't hate Naraku with a passion that would not die unless it died with him. 

Naraku laughed a deep laugh that froze one to the very bone marrow. Then the hanyou reached back and patted the large cocoon on his back with a fatherly pride. "It is Tsune."

Kagura quirked a brow. "Tsunenomaru the traitor?"

"Yes." Naraku smirked. "He's learned his lesson I think."  
  


Kagura knew there was something else. Naraku only laughed once more.

  
"I have . . . edited him." The evil being explained. "Made him less like you."

Kagura shifted her weight and sighed. "Is there a point to all of this?"

The dark one smirked and looked up. "Indeed. Do you remember the events of a fortnight ago?"

Kagura let out a huff. "Yes, you tried to kill the monk, and after they beat your ass he survived. So?"

Naraku nodded. "True. But that plan went as I planned it."  
  


Kagura laughed now, she couldn't help it. "You planned to lose?"

Naraku smiled and nodded. Suddenly Kagura was interested in what he had to said, as much as it disgusted her. "He is afraid now."

Kagura shrugged. "What?"  
  
Naraku laughed yet again in his cold-as-ice laugh. "He is afraid to use his Kazanna. Even as we speak Miroku is trying to find a new weapon to use against us. And he will find one." A cold spark was lit in Naraku's eye. "He will find one and when he obtains it, I shall have a power so great I won't need this anymore."

He was, of course, talking about the ball of Shikon that hung from his neck. Kagura felt a surge of horror in her body. If Naraku could truly obtain a power greater than the Shikon no Tama, she knew two things. One, he would never be able to be stopped, and two, she would become useless, and he would kill her.

Trying to hide the fear that had taken root in her mind and soul, she spoke. "And what do I have to do with any of this?"

Naraku laughed once more and then he told her what it was she had to do.

"Fine." Kagura said. "Consider it done."

Kagura walked up the steps and out of the dungeon. As she did Naraku patted the lump of flesh growing from him once more and spoke to it, like a mother speaking to her child while still in the womb. "You see her? That is your sister little Tsunenomaru. You will kill her one day."

While Naraku spoke to his growing youkai minion, Kagura looked up at the moon. She knew damn well that if Naraku truly became greater than the Shikon Shards, he would kill her and Kanna right away. Of course, Kanna was no help.

She knew what she had to do. She had to save her own life. And the only way to do such a thing was to kill Naraku. And to do that she needed Sesshoumaru.

----

Most villages in Japan in the fine year of 1496 had great fear of the youkai, but this one was used to them. One youkai in particular, was quite the common site. Kaede-sama was the local priestess of this village. Fifty years ago her elder sister, Kikyo, was the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. Fifty years ago, this village saw a great battle between Kikyo and her lover, the Hanyou, Inuyasha.

And if she didn't get back soon, the village may see a similar battle between Inuyasha and Kagome.

"What the hell is keeping that girl _this_ time?"

Crowded outside Kaede's hut was the Hanyou in red, Inuyasha. His face and smooth skin told those who looked at him that he was young, perhaps only seventeen or more. However his ears told that that was a deceiving look. He was much older than that, but didn't look, feel, or act like it. His long silver hair was fairly well kept, but not nearly as groomed as that of his brother. And his odd ears could easily become a dinner conversation topic. He was an Inu youkai, a dog demon. Or at least half of one. Dressed in the ruby red robes made from the fur of the rare fire rat, and carrying an old battered sword around with him that was his only gift from the father he never knew.  

Sitting not far away, dressed in the noble color of lavender was a young, good-hearted monk who was called Miroku. Always with him was a large variety of wards and charms, as well as his gold staff which was a family heirloom passed down from his grandfather, to his father, to himself. Yet it was one of two heirlooms passed down from Miroku's grandfather, it was the nicer of the two. The second heirloom was Miroku's right hand, covered in a cloth and tied with prayer beads; the Kazanna was both a blessing and a plight

"Inuyasha, you must learn to control your temper. Besides, Kagome-sama said she had a surprise for all of us when she got back." The monk said cheerfully. The hanyou gave a "Feh" and turned away.

Beside Miroku was a small Kitsune youkai. He looked like a normal young boy, bright eyes and an innocent face, as well as a whiny yet mischievous nature. Of course this young boy had a large bushy tail of bright auburn hair to match that on his head. Currently Shippou was entertaining himself with a small spinning top; the top was his favorite toy of course. 

   
"Merow."

Shippou blinked. "Ah, you want to play too Kirara?"

Next to Shippou was a small blond cat, with two tails and dark colored paws. Kirara had bright and pretty eyes and soft fur that made her look very cuddly, of course that was because Kirara was happy. When she was unhappy, then she could be very much the opposite of cuddly. For she was a Neko youkai, and she was also very skilled in the area of fire and heat. But right now she had no thoughts of fighting with other demons, but instead just eyeing the spinning top of Shippou, which she thought would make a very nice toy.

And next to Kirara was her favorite person in the world, a young girl with rich brown hair. Sango's eyes were somewhat the mystery; they were filled with such joy and bliss most of the time, however deep beneath all of the fog of pleasure was the tears of bitter sorrow. And Sango knew sorrow well. Whenever she became truly happy and content, her mind would replay those horrible images and drown out that happiness. It was her punishment for enjoying herself. She gave it to herself. And it would only go away again the day she saw her beloved brother once more. Saw him free.

Sango did not partake in the conversation; instead she just turned her head away from the boys. She was lying on her back staring down at the lake that lay on the bottom of the hill upon which they sat. She had always marveled at how beautiful Kaede's village was the lake and the trees all made it seam so wonderful. With a quiet and peaceful sigh and looked up into the trees above.

Suddenly she heard the tiny kitsune youkai give a happy squeal from her side and take off like lightning, and she knew Kagome must be back. Sitting up, sure enough she saw the young school girl climbing out of the well, her bag looked even more crammed than before.

"About time." Inuyasha huffed.  
  
"Oswari." Kagome said off-handed, causing the Dog-Demon to fall to the dirt face first. "I have presents."

Everyone gathered around Kagome for her presents, but most of all was Shippou, who was so excited that he was bouncing around and hugging Kagome's arm. Present was a magical word for the kitsune youkai.

  
"Shippou." Kagome said happily. "Here."  
  
Shippou squealed in delight as he was handed a box of crayons, a pad of paper, and a small bag of something called 'Skittles' which the kitsune identified as candy by the smell his sensitive nose smelled.

Kagome turned to Inuyasha, who had finally drug himself back up to his feet. He had a mean look on his face and a four letter word on the tip of his tongue until Kagome pushed a box of Ramen noodles into his face, at which point the Inu youkai broke into a wide smile and grabbed the box happily.

Then Kagome turned around to Sango and looked at them for a minute before she grabbed a small bottle of something from her bag and gave it to her.

  
"Its perfume Sango-chan." Kagome explained seeing her friends puzzled look. "It makes you smell good."

Sango sniffed the bottle for a moment and looked at the odd cap, which unbeknownst to her was a sprayer cap. As her finger pushed over it a jet of perfume shot from the nozzle straight into Inuyasha's face. In a instant the dog demon screamed and began to scratch at his nose, making a odd whelping noise.  
  
"Poison! Poison!"  
  
"Baka!" Kagome yelled at Inuyasha. "It's perfume!"

Kagome sighed and looked for Miroku's present, which was a small odd canister that looked like the lipstick Kagome kept in her bag. Miroku blinked at it, and clicked off the cap, revealing another nozzle.  
  
"Not more!" Inuyasha cried.

  
"No baka!" Kagome sighed. "That's breath spray. It makes your mouth smell good."  
  


Miroku shrugged and pocketed the strange bottle, deciding not to use it around the whimpering Inuyasha, for fear of Tetsusaiga. It was amazing, the man could have a hole knocked in his chest and he wouldn't make a sound, but one bottle of perfume could bring him to his knees with tears in his eyes.

Suddenly Miroku and Inuyasha both bolted up and looked around. A surge of Jyaki was in the air and that meant a Youkai was on its way to find them. Inuyasha gave one last sneeze and then began to dart his eyes from right to left.

Suddenly a large youkai appeared from the woods. It had the head of a bull and the body of a horse. Inuyasha yawned; it was just a simple beast and could be killed easily.

The dog demon leapt into the air and ran towards the beast, Tetsusaiga drawn and ready to strike, but before he had a chance the bull/horse youkai stomped with one of its large feet and smashed the Inu Youkai in his head, causing him to fall backwards onto the ground.

Sango quickly went for her Hiraikotsu but the bull/horse was too fast and it stomped another bulky hoof at her, causing her, Kagome and Shippou to jump to all directions to avoid the stomp.

Miroku instinctively went for the prayer beads on his right hand, but he hesitated. His left fingers had already grabbed the beads and he was halfway in pulling them off, when he stopped.   
  
The memories of Kagura and the yellow eye of Garudomaru were still too painfully fresh in his mind. Shaking his head he grabbed for his staff, but it was too late, the youkai spun around to face him.

The bull/horse would have killed him, but Inuyasha had regained his footing and a Kaze no Kizu was already flying swiftly into the monster's side, which tore it into bloody ribbons.

"What the hell is wrong with you houshi!?" Inuyasha cursed. "You could have used your frickin' Kazanna you stupid son of a --"  
  
"Oswari."

Kagome's voice drifted over the air to the sounds of Inuyasha falling into the ground and she sighed. She was lying in the dirt and her elbow had been scraped badly when she jumped away. It wasn't a bad wound, not compared to some of the ones she'd had.  
  
It wasn't her elbow that hurt, it was her heart. She looked at Miroku and realized that the effects of Kagura's trap were still too fresh in his mind for him to be able to let go.

Sango knew the same thing. She stood and walked over to Miroku, wrapping her arms around him in a back hug. He pushed her away and walked off back towards Kaede's town.

  
Sango sighed. If he wasn't even taking advantage of her affection then she knew he was truly hurt.

And back in his castle, Naraku laughed once again as everything fell into place for phase two of his most deadly plan yet.

----

**Viva la Inuyasha!**

Howdy folks, at long last, because of popular demand,

**Sayonara Kanashi Houshi - the Second Season**

Is finally up and running.   
  
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope you'll all be waiting for the next installment, coming soon.


End file.
